


The Dragon Knight

by WavesOver



Series: Tales of Esmia [6]
Category: Shoujo Kakumei Utena | Revolutionary Girl Utena, Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: A love triangle that turns into a threesome, Assassination Attempt(s), Character Death, Dragons, Dratz is a huge creeper here, F/F, F/M, Fantasy AU, Female Ryou, Female Yugi, HondaDoingShit2020, M/M, Multi, Ohtori Akio Is His Own Warning, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Utena is a dumbass, YGO Big Bang 2020, Yami here is a dumbass of the highest order, Yugi doing a lot of background stuff to help the rest of the cast, idiots to lovers, like one couple doesn't even get together in the story proper slow burn, not as big as Yami but still, others help her but still, partial transformations, stopping a power hungery king from getting what he wants, transformations, war war war what is it good for
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-25
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:02:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 21
Words: 46,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26113087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WavesOver/pseuds/WavesOver
Summary: Yami has just become a knight of the rose order, an elite band of knights who’s kingdom is preparing it’s forces to take down the wicked king of Esmia.  But there are more sinister forces at work and the honorable knight might find that things are definitely not what they seem… takes several years after The Witch King.
Relationships: Atem/Mutou Yuugi, Atem/Mutou Yuugi/Yami Yuugi, Atem/Yami Yuugi, Mutou Yuugi/Yami Yuugi, Thief King Bakura/Mahado, Yami Yugi & Kaiba Seto, hinted Himemiya Anthy/Tenjou Utena
Series: Tales of Esmia [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1561237
Kudos: 6
Collections: Yu-Gi-Oh! Big Bang 2020





	1. Normalicy

**Author's Note:**

> Where we meet one of our leads at his family home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey there, as it says in the summary, this is a sequel of a story I did last year, but most of the important information's already restated in one form or another here so it's up to you if you want to read it. Also I'll do specific warnings in the beginning of the chapter for specific things. Now lets get the show on the road.

_“Come on, Seto. We’re almost to that cavern I saw yesterday,” he says, climbing over the stumps and fallen logs that made the forest with all the energy his body had to offer._

_“Slow down! Not everyone wants to have dirt covering them all over like you do!” Seto grumbled, doing his best to keep the dirt and grass off his white pants, which is his fault because he’s the one who wanted to play today._

_“You’re just saying that cause you’re too slow! Last one to Craggy Rock has to lick a donkey!”_

_“Dammit, Yami! I said slow down!”_

_He turned to his playmate only to see a huge tree suddenly fall down, whether from rot or the head of an ax he didn’t know, and the tall structure was heading right at him._

_“Seto!”_

He jolted awake from the distant memory. Scanning the room, he located his false legs, the reason he kept servants from dressing him since the _incident_. It was a good thing that Seto was such an egghead, without it he would have never been able to achieve his dream. His mission.

But first he would have to dress himself. Easy enough. He crawled across the bed to the place where his legs are, positioned them to the connection-ports that are located at the stumps, and pushed them in. Now he has to do the _hard_ part. Getting the piece of wood from its perch on his right leg, he takes the well-marked wood, putting it in his mouth, and tightens the machinery, getting the legs to recognize when he wants to move and for how long. He never did figure out how it was able to do that, though Seto no doubt told him a thousand times before.

He then went on to choose his clothes for the day. Something simple that still shows his class as he was receiving his knighthood this day. After a few minutes probing, he decided on a sea-green outfit, something that somewhat matched his hair while making his red eyes stand out all the more. He dresses quickly, a skill he had gained over the years due to his own orders and the protection of his secret. He checks himself in the mirror, making sure he was ready for the day ahead before going to the dining room.

“It seems _you’re_ excited.”

He turns to see his older brother, drinking tea.

“Of course I am, Henry. After all these years of training and hard work, I’m going to join the knighthood. I’ve only been wanting to join since forever.”

His brother, a man more comfortable with a ledger and pen then the weight of a sword, gave a dismissive snort before going back to his tea.

“Ah, yes. The band of idiots who Timaeus joined and lost his life for,” he dismissed, a note of bitterness in his voice.

“Which is why I need to be there. To remind others of the honor of our house and line.”

Henry then stared at him with a melancholy look on his face.

“… I just don’t want to lose another brother to dragons, O.K. Yami?”

“Sure. But… where’s the food?”

Henry then burst out laughing. Apparently, he had woken up a full hour before breakfast. Which meant he had to settle for tea at the moment. Good tea, mind you, but he really felt after the dream he had, he deserved a fruit tart at least. But none of the apple ones, those can go to his half-brother and his new step-mother, someone who he spends so little time with he does not even feel the need to remember her name. he didn’t know her child either but that wouldn’t matter as he followed his brother to honor and glory.

After a quick bite, he chatted with Henry, talking about everything but his departure. And as the food was brought out, his stepmother and baby brother came out. He kept most of his focus on the food, not because he disliked the woman (well, maybe a little, but mostly he felt indifferent to her), but because he wanted his last time at this manor as part of its line to be a good one.

And in no time at all, the footman came to announce that Seto was there with the coach. Yami quickly brought his trunk outside to be put on the coach. He gave a quick hug to Henry, a pat on the head to the munchkin, and a nod to the butler. He then went to greet Seto.

“Ready to go?” he said. Always straight to the point, Seto.

He nodded as he entered the carriage. His horse and other belongings were already at their housing so there was nothing else that he had here. He gave one last wave as they left for the capital. He looked forward as the sun shined on him and his bright future.

This was it. He was finally going to be a Rose Knight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeahhhh, who wants to bet how long that will last?


	2. Nationalization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which there is knighting.

The ride to the capital was uneventful to say the least, but it was worth it to see The Jewel of the Sea, the castle where he and Seto are to be knighted was even less so. But even so, by the time they were in their rooms and dressing for the ceremony, Yami can’t help but want to squeal with joy over everything. It was everything he ever dreamed of, and when he blinded the horrid dragon after it landed near the manor, his heart was elated that soon his knighthood would soon be at hand.

The ceremony starts at high noon, the court filled with nobility and knights of lesser orders abound, with the current members of the guard to either side of the king and his kin. In order, he sees the Yellow, Blue, and Orange knights, the lovely Princess Kanae, her fiancé Akio, the commander of the Rose Guard, the king, the young princess Chris who was born from the late queen, followed by the Red, Pink, and finally the Green knight. An impressive group of noble warriors who do their best for the realm.

He stands at the entrance of the hall, Seto beside him as they wait for their signal.

The king stands up from his seat, and addresses the crowd.

“People of Atlantis, we have come forth this day to bring you good news. For on this day we are honored to welcome two new knights into the illustrious ranks of the Rose Guard. These two brave young men were able to face off against those ferocious dragons that continue to haunt our lands. And with these two remarkable lads, we now have a full set of men, and women, to defend the people and bring peace and justice to all.”

The crowd roars as the trumpets signal for them to come forth.

They marched with all the decorum of their standing, him praying to Athena that his limbs won’t give out from all the pressure he is feeling.

When they get there, they bow to their king, princesses, and future commander.

“Seto Kaiba of house Sorates,” the king says as Seto comes forth, ”Do you swear to protect the Realm, fight evil when confronted, and bring honor to Atlantis?”

“I swear on my life and my honor to do so,” Seto swears as Princess Kanae places the white ring on his ring finger. He then bows again and goes to the outer left of the line, the crowd celebrating his knighting with grand applause. The king then gives a signal for the crowd to quiet down. He then focuses on him.

“Yami Tutor of house Platos,” the king announces as he comes forth, nervous and proud all at the same time. The king continues, “Do you swear to protect the Realm, fight evil when confronted, and bring honor to Atlantis?”

“I swear on my life and my honor to do so,” he swears as Princess Kanae then places the lavender ring on his ring finger, and just like that he felt a sense of power flow into him, filling him with assurance and confidence like no one else did. He gives a deep bow as he moves to the right side, taking his place besides the wielder of the green rose.

“And now let us toast to our courageous Rose Knights, may they stay true and bring glory to Atlantis,” the King proclaimed as the crowd cheered, for the Rooster of the most noble knights are once again whole.

The king then leaves the room, followed by his loyal commander, his sister, and his daughter. Then the knights file two by two into the hall, from the inner rings outward. And as he and Seto entered the hall, sharing a grin between the two of them, though it was more of a smirk on Seto’s face, he never felt so accomplished.

There was no central table, for this was a celebration, not some formal dinner. Instead, there were small tables scattered around the ballroom, with servants bringing beverages to those that asked for them. He went out to fetch some hors d’oeuvres while Seto went to a corner to relax. He never felt much comfort in such crowds.

“Hey there.”

He turned to see the knight of the pink rose in front of him, her face beaming with delight.

“Hello, I’d introduce myself, but it seems that the honor has been given to another. May I be honored with knowing yours?”

Her grin grew wider. “Hey, no sweat, it’s the least I could do for my junior, Hera, that still feels weird to say. Anyway, I’m Utena Tenjou, of house Zeno. I used to be the new kid on the block, but now I’m the one people are looking up towards. Anyway, what was your battle like?” she finished; her eyes focused on him as he thought about what she asked.

“Wellll… the dragon I fought was huge, at least half as big as the castle. it was a horrific beast, with scales an aquamarine more suited to the sea more than anything, with deadly claws and a powerful tale. The fact it had landed so close to the manor was shocking to say the least but by the fate’s hands, I was able to cut out one of its eyes. A guard had seen what I had done and told the king, who came as soon as he could to see the remains from that battle to confirm the tale is true. And what about yourself?”

“Ha ha, yeah. I mean, the thing was attacking my best friend, so of course I went in to fight it. It was a huge purple thing, really long and didn’t even have wings, fortunately, its scales were soft so I was able to cut a huge gash in real easy. Course, cutting its head off was the worst, don’t want it doing some weird magic dragon thing and resurrecting from the dead, Ha ha ha.”

He stared in awe as he heard of her accomplishments.

“You killed a  **_dragon_ ** ! That’s amazing! My brother was able to do that but that was due to the help of his friends! But you did it all by yourself! That’s amazing!” he gushed.

“Ha ha ha, i..it’s really nothing. Like I said, the scales weren’t as tough as other dragons, that’s all,” She replied, a flush on her face.

“Well, I see you're telling your tale to another  _ enthralled _ listener,” another knight said. If he was correct, this surly man in front of him was the very knight he had been placed besides, the one who now holds the ring his brother once wore, “Anyway, I am Kyouichi Saionji, of House Sophocles.”

Utena left, probably to mingle with the other guests, though she did have a strange cough as she left.

“Charmed, and I’m sure that you already know my name so let’s leave it at that,” he said, amused by the tone of the other knight. He acts standoffish, but he has nothing on Seto on a bad day.

“Wait… you’re one of the new recruits?” he asked in a baffled tone.

“Yes, the knight of Lavender to be precise.”

He gained an interested look on his face, and then gave a grin.

“Ah, my fellow knight, would you lend your ear to a proposal of mine?”

He nodded, and the other’s smile extended out around his face.

*****

“So how does it feel to be a rose knight?” the red knight asked, a man with red hair to match his title with a  _ dashing _ smile and a charming manner about him. Like one of his step-father’s cronies when they want to kiss his ass, as if he and Mokuba wouldn’t get the title after he’s dead and eaten by worms. He hates him already.

“And why would you want to know?” he shot back, putting every bit of anger he had at his step-father into the glare he sent to the asshat.

“Hey, don’t get jealous just because MY Big brother is your superior,” the blond one said, a haughty look about her. It almost reminds him of Mokuba, but then the red one looks down on her with a patronizing look that he would never give Mokie.

“Oh, please, like I would care about something as stupid as that,” he answered. He’s probably there because he’s fucking either the king or his pet commander. Probably both if the rumors are correct.

“Hey, hey, hey, we’re all team mates here, we shouldn’t be arguing,” the blue one said.

“At the very least we should be introduced before saying anything,” the orange one said, “Juri Arisugawa, of House Sappho.”

“Miki Kaoru, of House Anaxagoras,” the blue one said.

“And I am Touga Kiryuu of House Thales, and this is Nanami, my younger sister,” the slimeball said, holding his sister close like it is some sort of competition. He glared at the smarmy cunt, hating him for the twisted parody of a sibling relationship between them. Sure they were close, but Mokuba was never as reliant on him as this dumb blond is on her brother.

“And your name?” the red ass said.

“you assume that I will answer,” he sneered at him, as if they hadn’t heard his name already.

“Oh, come now, we’re all on the same side. It’s the least you could do. Or do you want to be called the white one?”

He glared again, ready to let loose on this guy, saying that when he was just knighted a few hours ago, before he heard a familiar voice.

“Seto, you have to see this!”

He turned away from the smug ass, questioning why the hell he’s friends with such an oblivious fool, before hearing the subtle rattling of his false legs, something he only noticed because he could alway find no matter what. The legs he lost saving his life. The only reason Yami was out and about is because of the old alchemist that helped them by making Yami metallic limbs, teaching him how to create and maintaining them due to the fact Yami was a young child when he lost them.

Not even their parents know. Yami’s father was focused on his new wife and his own parents dealing with an infant Mokuba. Not that he’d fault them now, but it was a bit much for a young boy to have to share his parent’s attention with a new child after being the focus of his world for so long. It was a time he remembered fondly all the same. Without the horrid step-father, dead distant cousin, and constant pressure from the court.

He turns to his best friend, something he would never admit to the short dumbass even if he was tortured under Beibesan forces.

Yami strolled up to him with the green one, each with an equally dumb smile, though only the green one had any smugness behind it, like Noa when he thinks he’s outsmarted him in something.

“Seto, you need to hear this! This could be our first quest. Our first quest!” Yami exclaimed. Oh shit.

He turned to the other annoyances, but they seemed to have left just when he needed them.

He then turned to glare at the green idiot. He shuffled back before looking at Yami again and gaining another boost of courage from his dumbass friend.

“Well then, how would you two like to join me in slaying an enemy of justice?” he said with a confident glint in his green eyes.

Oh Hera, he can feel Yami bubble up with excitement beside him.

“And who are-“

“We’ll do it!”

He sent Yami a sharp glare. Yami in turn gave him a pitiful look that reminds him of a puppy, only it’s tolerable as opposed to the furry beasts. He swears that this idiot is going to kill him.

“You will? Great!” he yipped like an excited dog.

He sighed.

“What is it your ‘important’ quest?” he asked, ready to tear this idiot a new one.

He gave a mad grin as he got what he wanted.

“Have you ever heard of the wicked king of Esmia?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AKA dumbasses leading the dumb. Just so you know, Yami’s POV is coloring pretty much everything here, from the dumbass in pink to the ‘honorable’ knight in green, and so many other.  
> Seto, on the other hand, trusts no one and sees the absolute worst in most people.  
> As for the house names, they are all different Greek philosophers and writers. Here is a summary of their different discoveries (at least the ones related to this story & as another layer of meaning to future events.)  
> Plato-Ethics (Yami be a good, but dumb boi)  
> Sappho- Female Greek writer known for gay poetry (giving Juri all the gay subtext, and text-text)  
> Anaxagoras- Everything contains a part of everything, nothing is pure (Miki and his sis see things in black ‘n white, which those dumb kids need to grow out of)  
> Thales- Why change occurs (Touga and Nanami are the two that have the least & most character development outside of the main three)  
> Socrates- Question everything (Seto is a suspicious bitch)  
> Sophocles- writer of many tragedies which are cause by hubris (Sonji gonna get his ass kicked in one way or another)  
> Zeno-Paradoxes & concept of infinity (Utena is full of contradictions and needs to get past seeing some of the concepts she followed her whole life as the ideal and look into its flaws before they ruin her)


	3. Growing Tensions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A conflict occurs.
> 
> Warning: Transformation. Pain. Talks of murder.
> 
> Edit: Also here's a link to the fantastic art that Ashe The Hedghog [Here](https://ashethehedgehog.tumblr.com/post/627703150910078976).

They set out before dawn, for they do not wish to alert the wicked one of their plans. They had rode quickly at first, for the road their foe had chosen is quite far from the palace, at least a week away, but soon as they were closer to their target, they trotted at a slower pace, in order to not alert the citizens to their task. It was almost a pleasant ride through the countryside, calm and serene. But resentment and curiosity can work quite well in wearing down even the best of men.

“How did _you_ learn about the Esmian King’s travel plans?” Seto said with a suspicious look on his face, something that he had often in this journey.

“I-it’s none of your business,” Saoinji said, a blush on his face as he focused on the road ahead.

“Oh really? Does it have anything to do with your sister, the duchess of Neptune?”

“Sister?” He asked. He didn’t know about Saionji having a sister.

“That probably because your father’s lands were so far from court, they never hear anything that hasn’t been filtered through a thousand mouths. Not to mention the fact that _you_ were so focused on your swordplay and duties, you probably never hear any of the rumors going around, even _that_ ,” Seto said with a cutting bite that would cut most men that was betrayed by the hint of warmth in his eyes. If Seto didn’t care for him, he knows that the jab would be much deeper and about something that would actually _hurt_ him.

“What is it?” he asked.

“It’s none of your business is what it is, now hurry up, we’d want to make sure we are ready,” Saionji hissed before moving ahead.

It was near the end of the sixth day before they found the trail they were looking for. It was a simple dirt road, well traveled, and one of the best shortcuts between Esmia and Lune.

“Now what?” Seto sneered at Saionji, another dark look as he set up camp for the night, something that the two of them did often as children for a bit of adventure.

The other knight gave a dark smile as he worked on the fire, which is odd but then again, Seto gives those smiles out all the time.

“And now we wait.”

And a spark flew in, the fire lighting his eyes in a way that looked almost like Dionysus held his grip on him.

****

He stared out the carriage as his mind wandered back to the wedding that he had been at. While he had attended the wedding between Seth and Isis, there was quite the difference between the grand, yet emotionless affair and the pure joy that radiated from both Usagi and her husband as they were united in marriage, a union that was miraculous if Ryou and some of the other court historians are to be believed. The passion in their kiss as they were joined together in the eyes of the gods, or well, goddess in her case, but still. He was even happy to see the father of the groom give the happy couple a gift, a servant to help with him in his tasks as the spouse of a future ruler.

He knows that logically he should be looking for a wife himself, but his heart can't help but want what those two have. His traitorous mind brought an image of Yugi in a mix of blue and green, waiting for him in front of a priest to join them in matrimony, her eyes alight as he takes her into his arms. He shook his head.

_‘Come on, it's not like she would ever see you that way. She could have anyone she wants, and even then, she doesn't deserve to have her whole life be under the pressure of ruling and having an heir and all that other nonsense.’_

"Hey, you alright?"

He looked outside to see Akefia outside, trotting on that horse that he had gotten from some nobleman that he found out was taxing citizens three times the amount required and taking the majority for himself. He remembered being particularly pleased with himself when he banished the man and his house to live with his cousins out of the country with only enough supplies to get there.

“Just reflecting on the wedding.”

His trusted spy master, and brother in all but blood, gave him a look like he didn’t believe him but let it slide.

“How about you just rest your eyes, then. I’ll wake you up when we stop for lunch, kay?”

He thought on that before agreeing. It's not like this trip was going to get any more interesting so might as well. He took one of the cushions from the side and fluffed it up and laid on the long bench as he shut his eyes and tried to rest.

His eyes managed to close for a few moments, and soon he was fast asleep.

Until the thuds and clangs of metal woke him up.

****

His sword clashed with the scarred one, who glared back at him with venom most fierce. The scarred one moved back before swinging his arm around, an arc that he easily countered and used his stupor to strike at his right side. He used the side of his blade to knock him down, before pointing his blade against the others throat, far enough that it would not cut him but close enough that he could easily plunge it forward if needed be.

“Stand down. You do not need to fight any long.” There. A place for the guard to leave his masters service. He would rather be called naive for giving his foes mercy than a murderer for striking them down first thing. The glare he got in exchange for his word was dark and full of rage.

“The fuck I will!” he screamed at him before taking a dagger from his side holster and throwing it at him.

He moved to dodge it and their fight resumed, each blow ready to maim the other only to be blocked by its counterpart.

Then, by the Fate’s decree, his opponent gave him an opening.

He used the side of his blade to knock the man down, before kicking his sword away.

“By the order of the Rose Guard of Atlantis, I order you to stand down,” he declared, not wanting to attack an unarmed man, even one as malicious as him.

“The fuck are you talking about?” he sneers back, hate and confusion in his eyes in equal measure.

He almost had the words out when he heard the yell of Saionji with a fury that would turn any man into a wild beast.

“Now die!”

And then pain. All-consuming pain filled his senses. His teeth, his face, his hands, his back, his lungs, even his skin felt like someone was flailing him alive with miniature cats-eyes that tore chunks of his body. And then there was the screaming that echoed in his ears. The loud screaming that, he dimly realized, came from his own throat. At least part of them. The other voices he heard were Seto and Saionji, with the latter’s voice gradually gaining a rumble not unlike those that dragons gave out as they roared.

He fell, tossing madly as he tried to find some relief, any relief. He felt bone poke out of his fingers, his skin bubble over like an unmanned cauldron, and a burning sensation in his spine amongst other areas below the belt.

He screamed out into the sky, hoping to have something stop the pain, even a lightning bolt would do.

He collapsed to the ground hearing the pained screams of Seto in the air. He would join him again, but his throat was too raw to scream anymore.

As tears fell down his aching face, soothing the heat upon it, he swore he heard someone yelling, but for the life of him he could not hear the words.

****

He stares at the green dragon in front of him, his misshapen feature radiating hate as his large eyes look down upon him. And yet he did nothing. He tried to figure out just what kind of magic could be used to turn someone so quickly.

He felt a pull of magic on the bea-being like the reins of a horse, only he has the feeling that this rein controls so much more. He felt two more in the area, felt the magic working, trying to shift their forms into something like the crea-being in front of him. He took his hands onto those two metaphysical strings, pulled, and screamed.

“ **STOP!”**

He felt the magic cool. It was still there, still pulsing, but he had managed to stop it. For now.

He looks at the two on the ground, taking in their partially changed features, unconscious due to all the pain no doubt. There are many questions here, like who are they, where are they from, and why one of them had turned so fast while the other two are still recognizably human?

Afekia went up to the smaller of the two, brandishing his sword as he got his sword ready to stab the man.

“What are you doing?”

“Tss, the fuck does it look like. I’m going to stab the little psycho before he wakes up and finishes the job,” Afekia turns back to do before the dragon starts to throw one of his claws at him. He braced himself.

He felt that same tug of magic as before and focused in on it. The former human stopped. Both he and the dragon were startled by this.

Well **that** ’s bizarre.

He tried to think about what to do when his eyes fell upon the prone forms of the partially transformed. There was too much damage to the carriage to be used to carry all three of them and if he remembered all the troubles that Seth had to deal with when he was first cursed, their steeds are probably nowhere near the area, their bodies too different from the ones that had once ridden them. He looked to the large green dragon besides them and his mind came up with a workable plan.

“Afekia, how long is the closest manor?”

He gave the other a confused look before a knowing smirk came forth, his eyes gaining a manic glee at the prospect.

“About three hours by horse, south-east. I’ll send the Hanasaki’s a message about our ‘little’ emergency,” he replied, his joy palatable as he gets to ruin someone’s day.

He nodded as he used this odd connection to force the dragon on his belly, using a levitation spell and the uninjured guards to move all of the wounded onto his back. He gave a silent apology to the former human in front of him before pushing it through their odd connection to fly to the Saunver Estate. He would have tried a better way, but there were lives on the line and he was not going to have anyone die on his account.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now wasn’t that special.


	4. Propaganda

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Yami wakes up and has uncomfortable truths told to him.

Pain shot through his body, aches that he hadn’t felt since his last growth spurt, his mind still fuzzy from the horrid dream he had last night. I mean, really? Why would Saionji have turned into a dragon? And him growing fan-

His teeth pierced his lip. He let out an odd growl like an animal. What? That doesn’t-

“Hey, are you alright?”

His eyes creaked open to see green eyes in front of him. Not green eyes like Princess Kanae, a velvet green, but more like… someone’s eyes, with a lightness in them that made them enchanting. He took in the rest of face in front of him, with tight warm brown skin over chiseled features that any woman would swoon over, a perfect nose and blond bangs that added to his charm.

“Your face is warming up. I’ll get the healer in here,” he said in his captivating voice as his callused hands placed a cool rag on his head before he got up. His eyes followed the mysterious man as he left the room, showing that like him, his hair had three colors, though unlike his own blond, black and green, his long, luscious locks were edged with a lovely shade of violet, which reminded him of someone but for the life of him he is unable to remember who.

He moved his hands to cradle his aching head only to feel… claws? He moved his hand to take in the slightly scaly apparition that was now his hand, complete with a functioning set of claws. He brought up its twin only to find that it too has taken the same appearance. He lunged forward, moving as quickly as he can so that he may find a mirror.

He stumbled for a bit before he reached his objective. And lo and behold, the figure in the mirror was him, but a him that was horribly mashed together with dragon bits, the coloring of the more defined scales being a soft lavender color, not unlike his own ring. But what about the pain on his back? Does he now have wings to go with his new monstrous form. He tore off his nightgown and turned around, dreading the horrors that await him.

Well… it wasn’t  _ wings _ per say, but the nub of a tail was not something that he wanted to see upon his form. A small, thick mound at the small of his back, equally as violet as the scales are on the rest of his body.

There was knocking on the door.

“Hey, are you decent?”

He shouted no back, his own sense of privacy strong after all the years of keeping his secret his own.

He shook his head as he dressed for the day, noticing that his trousers had been given a make-shift hole to put the useless nub, another reminder of his current state. His legs felt off, with the cool metal being the same as always but the skin above the stumps having a line of scales on the ends. He shook his head again to stop worrying about those things when there were other matters to handle.

He made sure he was ready before he opened the door. He saw the enchanting man that had been by his bedside. Huh, he didn’t even hear the other leave.

“I see you’re somewhat ready. Sorry that I had to leave, I felt that you wanted a moment to yourself,” his deep voice replied to his unspoken question, and his heart raced a bit then.

He picked up his old clothes before speaking again in his mesmerizing voice.

“Anyway, we’re quite fortunate that you and your friend are as good as you are. I know that things look bleak, and sounds a bit hypocritical, but things could have been worse. And when you are ready, you two can come to the solar room… at least that’s what I think it’s called, anyway when you’re ready we would like to talk about what occurred and your perspective on things. And maybe we’ll even get a bite to eat while that happens.”

He gave a cheeky grin before exiting and he can’t help but notice that his reflection is smiling back at him. He tried to calm his nerves. He really shouldn’t be thinking of him that way. He seems so unsure of things, it’s shocking. Why, he’s probably hasn’t been working here for even a week.

He then left the room to follow the servant to their meeting room. He tried valiantly to both ignore his new appendage as it swished behind him and the attractive behind of the alluring servant, a plump thing not unlike the plums he enjoyed snaking on whenever they had some at the manor.

When they had arrived, he saw Seto sipping on some tea, his features a similar mix of draconic and human, with far less unnatural features in the face, but with the trade-off of his feet being so malformed, narrower and the toes there replaced with claws, that he is now shoeless, though that does not seem to bother him based on his expression.

“Finally, I was wondering if you had dropped dead, you were asleep for so long.”

He felt a grin form at those blunt words. Still the same old Seto.

“Well, now that everyone is here, I’ll start with the introductions,” a tall man with long brown hair stated before placing a hand on his chest, “I am Mahado. The gargoyle in red is Afekia, and the final member of our group is-“

“They don’t need to know his name, especially since these  _ idiots  _ attacked us for no reason,” the aptly named gargoyle in red said, glaring at him with his arms crossed across his chest. How rude.

“Please, I wouldn’t have even been there if  _ this _ idiot hadn’t decided to follow the imbecile in green in his ‘noble quest’,” Seto shot back before returning to the topic at hand, “I’m Seto Kaiba of House Sorates, and this is Yami Tutor of House Plato.”

“Ooo, so fancy-boys, are you, why were you and your batch of cronies going off attacking people like that? Is this some kind of power trip for asshole ‘nobility’ like you? Huh?”

I- is he implying what he thinks he is? He stepped forward to confront the vulgar man.

“How dare you claim such things. Both Seto and I are the _ Rose knights of Atlantis _ and we had accommodated our fellow knight in freeing Esmia from it’s horrid king, the loathsome Akhenamkhanen. We are far from the band of rogues that you paint us with your thoughtless words,” he yelled into the man’s face, close enough where he could see all the scars on his face and not just the big one around his right eye.

“Thoughtless?  **Thoughtless** ! You’re the asshats who attacked us for no reason! Maybe that’s the reason you’ve got those cursed rings to begin with!”

Wha-

“What?”

“ _You heard me_. You and the _creepy_ _Seth clone_ are wearing cursed rings. Hell, that what caused your stupid friend to end up as a huge-ass green dragon! So either your boss is just as clueless as _you_ , which is possible given the average intelligence of the average noble, or he gives out cursed rings to keep his little followers in line, which says as much about you as it does about him,” the white-haired man hissed.

“No… no you must be lying. You can’t be serious… he.. MY king would never do such a thing. He is a noble ruler who does his best to protect the realms… YOU’RE LYING!!!” he shouted one last time before storming off, away from the falsehoods from the white-haired one. He didn’t know where he was but anywhere was better than there.

****

“You seem to be taking this well,” Afekia snarked.

“Well, I think the fangs and the transformed idiot are proof enough of your theory,” the newly introduced Seto shot back.

There was a pause as Seto looked down, setting his cup down while he looked into his hands.

“Not to mention that it explains more than a few things I’ve noticed but never really gave much thought about, given everything. With the power of such an item that could increase the wearers speed, strengthen, and endurance, it would make sense that Akio would put such a failsafe in it to use as a bargaining tool to be able to wed the king’s sister,” he said in a cynical tone, his words tarter then a lemon.

Mahado gave the man a comforting pat on the back, which only got him a glare in return, as Afekia glared at the spot where Seto’s comrade was. It must have been hard for him to hear such things about someone you trust so deeply. It’s like learning his parentage all over again.

“Are you really letting him just walk out like that?” Seto asked, a bit of concern flashing on his face before it turns back to its sonic façade.

Afekia gave a wicked grin as he chuckled to himself.

“Now who says he’s going alone?”

*****

The knight from Atlantis was fast as he ran away, he didn’t even try to get a horse, which if he remembered all the troubles Seth had when he was cursed was probably a good thing. He only stopped to get some food and water, which showed that he at least had some training how to survive in the wilderness. He almost seemed like a madman as he went through, though he had enough sense to at least keep his hood up. He almost lost the knight in a few places, but he was trained by one of the most paranoid spymasters in the history of Esmia and he will not lose some guy that could potentially end them all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor guy doesn’t ever realize that the hottie helping him is the guy he tried to kill.
> 
> And Yami deals with the possibility of being a tool with the age-old mechanism of denying the hell out of it and going back to his commanders.
> 
> And who is this person following our dear dumb knight into the night? ;p


	5. Boiling Point

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which a knight returns to his king.
> 
> Warning: Betrayal, vomiting, objectification (because Dartz)

He was out in the gardens, not the ones close to the palace that Chris plays in but the ones that edged the woods that he often hunted in as a boy, with Akio, his sister’s fiancé… and his lover. He knows that his own parents were probably rolling in their graves but he honestly never saw much of a need to disdain a practice that other countries on the continent do freely without it ever boiling over to such a point. Not that they’ll ever  _ tell _ her about their arrangement but really, why should she care about such things? It’s not like she matters anyway. Not like the other next to him. Granted, he’s not from a noble line, but that drive more than makes up for any fault in his commoner heritage.

It was a comforting silence between them, just enjoying the scenery and the lovely floral notes with the other by his side.

And of course, it was interrupted, the fates being as cruel as they are. He turned, hoping to dismiss the servant quickly, only to find some strange, cloaked man instead. He was panting underneath his cover, as if he had run all the way here.

“Who are you? State your business before I have my guards handle you.”

“ _ Aha _ Yes  _ aha _ my king. I  _ aha _ am Yami  _ aha _ of house Platos,” he paused to catch his breath before standing up straight, showing the startling red eyes of the boy he knighted, “And I have something important to tell you.”

He took in the disheveled form of the man in front of him, taking note of the fact he still kept the hood up. He thought he and the rest of the three idiots died in that stupid task Saionji lead them towards. He knew that Touga was ambitious, wanted to show how skilled he is with his words, but he seems to lack the patience to be a player in the long run. The idiot was still useful and he just got two of his new knights captured for his troubles. And now he has to hear about how that idiot and his fanatic brother treated his knights.

“You may rise, knight of the lavender rose, and tell me what has befell you,” he said in that calm tone that makes such lesser men think he cares for them. 

The knight rose, still clutching on to his robes, keeping his features hidden.

“My king, I had just come from the Esmian borders. When the knight of green had taken myself and the knight of white to gain vengeance on the wicked king of that country, we had suddenly found ourselves with different forms,” He then pulled back his hood, revealing the draconic features that marred his handsome features, twisting him into a parody of a man. A pity, he would have been a fun toy to play with.

“Fortunately for us, most of the king’s men had more honor than him, and we were taken to a manor to rest. One of the king’s men even brought us to a room to talk things over. They seem convicted that the rings are cursed, more over that one of them even accused you of knowing of the curse and allowing us to use them anyways,” the fool said, showing that not only did the Esmian king know about his campaign, but that the rings have a curse, a failsafe in case any of them have any idea about his  _ true _ plans.

He sighed. Great, now he had to get his hands dirty. As useful as the man could be, the fact that he could reveal his secrets to  _ more _ people made him far more expendable.

“I know.”

The knight then came up from those words, devastation on his face. It is a delicious look; one he would have to savor in his moments of boredom.

“You-you know?!?!??!” he said with distress in his voice. Like he believed all that fluff he was saying.

“Of course I know, how do you think I know where to find you lot?” he said in a dismissive tone

“Wh-what?”

“Oh, it wasn’t easy for the first batch, I’ll give you that, but after sending that batch off to some town or another, it was really a matter of seeing who fought the dragon off, or at least who had the drive to say so. granted, they always seem to turn faster than the ones who  _ actually _ do the fighting but that just means more potential knights to be made. It’s a useful cycle that keeps itself in motion, dragon, knight, dragon. Far better than what we did before.”

“Bu-but all those people. And all the villages that were attacked… you… you knew  **_this_ ** ?!?!”

“Oh please, it’s not like any of those people mattered.”

“Bu-bu- all those deaths, all the buildings demolished, all the farmlands destroyed,-“

“It seems like our friend here is quite chatty, isn’t he commander?”

Akio came up to the numb knight in front of him.

“Yes, it seems like he would be quite the problem,” he said in his velvety voice, making him shudder from the implications.

“Well then, we’ll just have to eliminate that problem, shall we?”

The Akio, with a calm grin on his face, took the blade from its scabbard and went to the side of the kneeling knight. He had at least hoped to see what the delectable man would be like in bed before such a thing could happen but it can’t be helped. He felt himself get aroused as his lover lifted his sword to cut the head of the partially-transform man. If he was lucky, he might be able to use this to convince the other houses to go to war. He already had his allies’ stock-piling weapons and experimenting with other tools for battle.

Just then, a soldier appeared,some no-name who is so plain he wasn’t worth remembering, as if out of nowhere, deflecting Akio’s blade. He then took the catatonic knight and disappeared out of thin air.

Well… that’s  _ troublesome _ .

He turned to Akio.

“Well then, do you know  _ why _ it would be that the curse would activate for the Esmian king?” he shouted, venting his frustrations on his commander.

His lover gained a dark look on his face.

“Yes, yes I do. It seems like the king’s bastard son has gained the throne,” he calmly said, too calmly in his opinion.

“Oh really?”

This is just rich, that self-righteous prick has a bastard son. The idiot that had locked his wife in the tower for screwing some other man, among other things, is the one who has a child out of wedlock. Fuck, even  _ he _ was more careful than that, making sure his partners were either male or too old to have their monthly bleeding.

“Well, it seems we’ll have to work on that old project to make sure we have some troops impervious to those little… design flaws,” he said, as if he hadn’t got it already set up for the day he wants to eliminate his closest companion and his dependence on him.

They went back inside, getting ready for the battle they had been preparing for so long, the anticipation of what’s to come making him giddy.

***

He felt the world rushing by as he took in the terrible truth that he learned. His king… his commander… they  _ knew _ about the curse. They knew that at any point, any one of the knights could turn into a dragon. But, if the dragons were people… does that mean… It felt like lumps of coal had been shoved into his stomach and the pressure, what he just learned, it twisted and turned before he vomited everything from his stomach. He vaguely heard another joining him but he could just be hearing himself as he purged himself until he went unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeahhhhh, this scene has been planned since the very beginning, the betrayal of the king and his boy toy to all the kids who looked to them for guidance and protection. I’m sure many of you can guess Akio’s reasoning for his actions, but Dartz here just wants power and wealth. And what better way to do that then control both the sea trade AND the silk road that Esmia is currently situated at. Man talks a good game of nobility and honor and good for the kingdom but he certainly doesn’t believe a word of it.
> 
> Also, Honda be bamf here, following our dumb dragon boi, finding out that king shady knows all about the tricks in those rings he be giving out, and yeeting himself and the dumb boi back to the castle.


	6. Declaration of War

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where Yami is in another unknown place and finds himself cared for by another attractive stranger.

He awakens yet again to another unknown chamber, the décor showing that it is a guest room, but the styling differs greatly from the guest house that he lodged at in the Jewel of th-

He felt another bout of sickness as he remembered what had occurred there, how his commander… his king… They knew about the transformations that coul- would occur. They had young hopeful knights risk their lives slaying dragons, dragons that were once like them. And… and they didn’t care. Like it was some bout of amusement to see all this play out… again and again...

His hand came to his mouth as he looked for a chamber pot.

“Oh, you’re awake!” said a cheerful voice.

He looked to see who came to greet him, and twice in his lifetime, he found a beauty by his bedside. A petite woman with a shining smile that sparkles with kindness, framed by a heart-shaped face that brings to mind all the kindness and innocence of childhood with the wisdom of an elder who has lived a long life. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders, a body of black with red outlining its form with striking blond bangs to highlight her face, with a lock down the middle that brought attention back to her eyes. He stared at the marvel in front of him, wondering if she was real.

“Ummm, Hello?”

He shook out of his stupor.

“Yes.”

She smiled, and his heart lightened.

“So, I heard a bit from Honda about you and what had happened, but I would like to hear your side of things. Are, are you alright sharing?”

His face dropped at that. Funny, he didn’t even know he was smiling.

“I… it’s just…” he tried to start, stumbling over every other word before taking a breath and centering his thoughts, “When I was a boy, I had always wanted to be a knight. It was a dream that fueled me to do my best and got me through the death of my mother. And the most prestigious of the knights were the Rose guard, an elite force that Dar- my- the king had established. My older brother, Timaeus, was one of them, the green rose knight. He and I were very close. He… he was the one who taught me to hold a blade. And to learn that not only do the rings the give have a curse on them, but to know that the king  _ knew _ this. That he willingly put such objects on those most loyal to him, that at any moment they could turn into a horrid monster. It-it’s sickening.”

“Like learning that someone you hold in great esteem had done a horrible crime,” she said with so much understanding that it brought him to tears. No, he can’t. not aga-

He was startled out of his thoughts by her warm arms circling him, comforting him in a way that he had not felt in a long time.

“Shhhhhhhhh, it’s o.k., just let it out.”

He cried. He cried until there were no more tears to be shed. He cried so much he was sure that he discolored the patch where his head rested. He held her so tightly in his arms, he was afraid that his new claws had pierced her form.

“There, now do you feel better?”

He took another breath before he found that he  _ did _ feel better. The pain was still there, but somehow, it was more bearable, like he had thrown a boulder that had been on his shoulders for too long and could now stand properly.

He took in his companion’s eyes, really taking them in, those precious orbs were a violet color, shining with goodness that made others with the same color look tainted in association. One could call them amethyst, if one were shallow enough to believe such a cold, unfeeling stone was comparable to the warmth and life in her eyes. 

Just then, a knocking came from the door. After his angelic care-taker allowed them to come in, a blond guard came into the room.

“Hey, sorry ta barge in, but Temmie’s back.”

“Oh, Atem’s here?” she said with a tenderness so dear that it is obvious that she adores him.

Of course. Why would someone as wonderful as her want anything to do with a stupid boy like him.

“Yeah… somehow there are dragons, and de king’s gotta hold on dem. ‘nd dere’s dis asshole dat looks like Seth but dragon-ey?”

“Seto!”

The guard jumped as he took his form in.

“Jezz, anander one?”

“Joe, this is the man that Honda saved. He was just-“

“Yugi!” shouted a familiar voice as the enchanting man that helped him not a week prior came into the room. He felt his face heat up as he spent all his time focused on this wonderful woman and he didn’t even know her name.

“Atem!” she exclaimed as she gave the man a heartfelt embrace. It was a sweet and tender moment that his mind had focused on, taking in how perfectly the two looked in their embrace, their features magnified by the contrasts between them, her soft, kind ones against his sharp and commanding looks. Even their skin brings out the others. He felt shame as his body rebelled against him, showing off how much he enjoyed this display of compassion, like the freak he was.

“Should I give ya some privacy, yer highness?” the guard teased with a smug grin on his face. The two captivating beings blushed as they separated, which helped his mind get just enough air to turn the man’s words in his head. Highness? Like, the king?

_ The man he’s been mooning over is  _ **_The King?!?!_ **

**“YOU’RE THE KING?”**

The bewitching man shuddered as he was addressed. He then shuffled nervously as his heritage was highlighted.

“Ummm, yes?” he affirmed with a nervous smile.

“I thought… and you just… What happened to Akhenamkhanen?” he screamed as he tried to wrap his mind on all this new information.

“Well, he’s kind of been… dead. For a while. Like, around six years I think?” Yugi joined in equally as timid but far more at ease than Atem. Who’s the king.The king that he, Seto, and Saionji had tried to kill.

“I.. I.. why would you help me… after all that I did…” he said, both in awe of their kindness and ashamed that he was even part of such plans to take such good people out of this world.

He felt a comforting pat on the shoulder and turned to see a man in shades of brown beside him.

“Hey, don’t worry. It seems like the creeps at castle Asshats have got a real operation going on, having this twisted cycle of knight, dragon, knight going on. At least you and your friend’s curse got stopped before too much was taken away,” he said with a conforming smile on his face, which made him cry harder.

“Ah, I suppose I should introduce you. This is Hirota Honda, the guard that transported you back here,” the- Atem said. He felt a pit of shame grow in him for addressing a ruler so informally but after what had happened, he could not even think of the word without the twisted smirk showing in his mind’s eye.

“Tr-transportation?”

Atem gave a nervous chuckle.

“Yes, it’s a spell that one of the mages in the academy developed. It’s mostly used to transport fish and other goods because of its side effects but it could be used in the cases of emergencies.”

“Wha- what kind of side effects?” And are they affecting him now.?

“Puking,” Honda stated in a deadpan tone.

“Oh.” That did explain a few things.

“Sire,” a servant charged in panting for breath as they held a scroll in their hand.

“Yes… Teribo,” Atem said as he seemed to stare at the handkerchief on the servant’s neck.

“Sire, Atlantis has declared war on Esmia!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yami when he first sees Atem: _Oh no, he’s hot!_  
>  Yami when he first sees Yugi: _Oh no, she’s hot!_  
>  When he seeing them together: _Oh no, they’re both hot!_


	7. First Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first battle is fought. Water is wet. Writing fighting is not my forte.

They had gathered their, admittedly, meager forces to the area where the Atlanian king had set as their battle field. Most were born to a time of peace, where even the oldest of them had only heard of such battles from their fathers, or heard it happening in some far-off land. Most of their training was used for protection rather than offence. It was quite a bit away from the nearest town, at least on the Esmian side of the border, something that privately his king and the others were quite thankful for. 

The army in front of them was well-armed and alert, something that chilled Mahado as he realized for the first time just how keen the Atlantean king was for this war. Questions rose in his head; How had the king convinced his citizens to go to battle? What stories were told to convince them to go so eagerly? And just how long had they been planning this war?

The first wave was swift, fervent to the point of insanity quite like that of those he had fought when he and the others stormed the castle, wanting to rescue those that were imprisoned there.

Their forces went hard on the men that they had, all led by a woman in white armor, her horse a spotted one, with a rose-like shape pressed into the breastplate. She went straight for Atem, who decided to be part of the first line as a sign of support, a stupid idea all-around but he insisted. Fortunately, one of the partially cursed knights blocked the blow before it could hit their stupid king. The one who had tri-colored hair like him and followed him around like a love-sick puppy.

He, on the other hand, was doing the smart thing by staying in his hiding area and focusing on his spells as he saw the second wave from Atlantis charged in. They had just gotten close to the home army when he let them loose.

Thousands of knives appeared as a barrier for their army and the battles they were currently fighting before rushing at the enemy forces. Each one struck a soldier, causing some in the back to retreat, where they dealt with the pits that he and Mana created the day before.

Mana then ran into the battlefield to gather all their fallen men and teleported them to the medical bay set up in the town, Where Isis and some other healers stood by to take care of the wounded.

He glanced towards Atem who dropped his shield and instead fought off the Atlatians with just a blade and a spell. That Ra-damned idiot!

He got out of his hiding spot to go over and protect the reckless brat, when he saw that the cursed knight was sticking quite close to him, acting as a human shield. Yami, he thinks his name is. It couldn’t have been the other since he’s so tall it would have been impossible for him to blend in, even with all the chaos.

Seth was fighting the white knight now, forgoing a helmet in order to take advantage of his unnatural features to scare some of the more gutless ones, which had no effect on the one he was fighting.

He heard bows twang and put up a large shield to protect the others. Some still got through though, and he winced at those screams echoed over the area. It seems like it was a stalemate at this moment, but only because the Atlantean forces did not know about the magic users at their disposal, who were not nearly enough to change the tide of this battle.

And then he heard the roars of several dragons erupt from the air.

*****

The battle is going poorly. Mahado had already went out of cover to use his spells, and the knight in white seems to be immune to Seth's scary face.

He almost gets hit from behind, only for Yami to block the blade and use his strength to put them back.

He manages to get a good hit on the person in front of him, but another one charges in his place.

Their numbers were bigger than he had anticipated.

He slashed in front of him only for  _ another _ person to pop in his face.

He’s starting to lose hope, that this would be the end. That he will die on this battlefield.

And then he heard roars in the sky.

He  _ finally _ has room to move around and it seems like the dragons will end things on both sides.

And then he felt it. A tug. The same tug that he was able to use before to get the dragon from before to move them to the manor.

“Cover me!”

And like that he moved away from the battle, running as far as he could, to give him some space to work.

Mahado ran beside him and put up a shield, giving him time to cast his spell.

He takes a deep breath and focuses himself, and then… pushes.

He pushes himself out, out to the branches in the sky, the ones that are slowly moving in.

He pushes his will into them, which shocks the ones up ahead, enough so that he could overpower them for the moment and have them come between the two forces.

Seth, Yami, Mana and the others seem to get it and move away, and in no time the dragons came down, and like that, the Atlantean forces ran off, strong enough to face a force unprepared but not enough to do much against a force that is more equal.

They ran at the sight of them, and he honestly never felt more relieved.

He released the connection. And the dragons, much like the one called Saionji, the one who transformed right in front of him, were confused. Confused and frightened, which is reasonable, it was a wicked thing to do, but it kept him and his soldiers safe.

He looked off to the side, a bit ashamed but it was the only option he could think of. Wait… if it worked on them as well then that must mean….

He looks towards them, at their intelligent eyes that spoke of something more human underneath their scales.

“I have a proposition for you.”

The reptilian beings in front of him looked confused.

“If any of you, or any of your companions, were changed by the rose rings of Atlantis, you can come to the fields behind the Sun Palace for an important discussion. We’ll meet in three days’ time. We’ll talk more there.”

Some of them looked distrustful, while others looked cautiously optimistic. Some of them just stared at the partially cursed Yami and the recovered Seth, and nodded.

They all flew away after that and, for a moment, he felt like this war could be won.

***

Juri takes in the area behind them as she sees the dragons settle down under the command of the man in steel armor, surveying the field where many had perished. It seems they have sorcerers on their side, with one of the men she fought being some kind of chimera from the look of things.

Who is that and how was he able to tame such beasts so easily? She shook her head. Well, whatever the reason, she will have to report this to her commander and king.

She rides away, dreading what she will have to say, placing her hand above the place where her locket was underneath the gleaming armor to remind herself what she is fighting for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooh, dragons!
> 
> And anyone what to take a guess at what that locket means…. No brownie points if you're reading this from the Utena side of things.


	8. A Moment of Peace

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which there is some time away as the two nations stop to celebrate their holidays.
> 
> Also to note, the queer here means strange, not in reference to sexuality. Both mother, son, and at least seven eighths of the cast for this story qualify as queer in of themselves, more or less the minor and side characters.

He started at the beings in front of him, several large, scaly dragons in front of him, all with various hues and, something that he never saw a dragon do before, lay calmly on the ground at the Esmian king took in all the beast in front of him.

“Do you think they still have their minds?” the King asked his advisor, awe in his voice.

He doubts it. How could anyone stay sane after such a transformation?

“Well, I could try that spell that Luna and Artemis developed for when they’re in their feline state,” the Wizard muttered, focusing his magic into his hand.

“Do you need any assistance?” the king said. Right, he forgot that the brat was actually  _ trained _ to do this. Among other things that no  _ normal _ king should know.

The wizards thought for a few minutes before nodding.

They brought their hands together as they chanted, their free appendages glowing as they used their mystic mumbo jumbo to try to communicate with these beasts. Honestly, what the hell did they expect from them, they already know about what that back-stabbing human excrement had done, and that the sorry excuse of a king knew all along. He turned away to see the small form of Yami, looking at the herd of dragons in front of him with apprehension. Right… there was a chance one of them was Timaeus.

The ground was the same as home, grass on the field doesn’t really change much wherever you go. It’s much better than looking at that fool’s face and the feeling that brings up in him. It was definitely better than that, but still did nothing for this ache in his head that he’s been getting since the little light show.

“ _ HEY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? _ ” the words rung in his head using the voice of the idiot that got them into this mess to begin with.

“ _ I'm sure that the wizard said not to be so loud. _ ” Said a soft, feminine voice, a voice that he had not heard in a long time.

“Kisara?” It couldn’t be… no, it could very well be, he just stupidly assumed that she had died rather than put two and two together and connect the disappearance of the first commoner who became a rose knight to what he knows now. She was the reason he wanted to be a knight, fierce and skilled with the ability to take down anyone who dismissed her due to her heritage. He was so proud to even have her ring on his own hand.

“ _ Yes _ ” and he looked in front of him to see the glorious white dragon in front of him, her scales sleek, with a flowing neck with the beauty of a swan. And just like a swan she would cut down any fool who gets in her way.

“ _ Ah, it’s been so long since I spoke to someone without them trying to stab me.” _ she said with a twinkle in her large blue eyes.

He coughed, looking away since they both knew the reason for that.

“Well, glad to be that person.” Oh Zeus, did he really say something so stupid.

“ _ I see you are of the same House as Critias. You even styled your hair the same.” _

He blushed, both at someone calling him out on that and knowing that she was there when Critias went missing, no, turned into a dragon, his cousin was not an idiot and had his companions around to help them survive. (It would explain the blue dragon with spikes running down its back was looking at him so intently.)

“Brother?”

He was brought out of his thoughts by the broken-hearted word. He looked over to see Yami looking intently at the green dragon in front of him. The green dragon with the missing eye.

“ _ I see you were given my ring _ ,” the dragon said, changing the subject to keep their minds off of the private moment they had been privy to.

“Yes. Actually, you were the one who inspired me to be a rose knight,” he stated, feeling no need to hide this from her.

He and Kisara moved away from the two brothers, both afflicted with the same curse, with the younger maiming the older brother he adored in order to gain the favor of a power-hungry king, giving them privacy as they continued their talk.

She chuckled, which was really more of a rumble but he felt the intent in the magic thing that the two did, “ _ Ah, yes, Kisara, the Knight of the White Rose, the commoner who rose to such a prestigious rank, giving hope to the people that they too could be a knight. A pretty prop to show his kindness but once I try to  _ **_do_ ** _ anything, he casts me aside and has his assistant turn me into one of the very beasts I’d slayed. What I’d give to see  _ **_him_ ** _ the one in agony at my feet, for all him lies exposed and for the world to see him as the arrogant, cowardly man he is.” _

“… You know, you could do that. Probably not all at once, but it’s doable.”

_ “And how could I do  _ **_that_ ** _? That lilac-haired bastard has some kind of ability to control us even after the rings had left us. Not to mention that even if I did, all it would do is make the citizens sympathize with the manipulative shit.” _

He gave a wicked grin, “Well, for reasons unknown to us, it seems that the very king that good King Dartz wishes to overthrow also is able to manipulate the rose-cursed as well. And he just so happens to be a bleeding heart so you don’t have to worry about him trying to hurt you. Hell, Yami and I had tried to kill the guy and he didn’t do a damned thing.”

She took in those words, communicating with the dragon that had aided them on that first battle, before gaining a toothy grin of her own.

“ _ Well then, I suppose I will have to tell his majesty. _ ”

She then moved to talk to the others around, spreading the news to the other cursed ones. After a few moments watching the dragon share this encouraging prospect, he went back to Yami. What he saw was his oldest friend in a complete mess, his eyes red from all the crying but a relieved smile on his face.

“How was your talk?” He said gently, knowing Yami but still curious.

“I-it was good. We talked a bit,” he stuttered before he started crying again, “He- he didn’t even blame me for what I did. Even though I was the one who-“

He took the dumbass into his arms, giving him a comforting hug as he bawled out again.

“Don’t you dare say that you’re responsible for that. You didn’t know any better and if it wasn’t for Dartz, he wouldn’t have even been a dragon to begin with.”

He then glanced at the king as the dragons poured over him asking him if the tale was true, with the exception of the green idiot, who was sulking away from the rest. After that the dragons seemed to have their own mini celebration as the young king came over. He glanced at his friend, who was giving calf eyes to the ruler with the same hair as him. (He saw the portrait of the king from his first year. The only difference was that the king decided to grow his hair long as opposed to the star-shaped mess that was on top of the idiot besides him.)

As the two of them chatted, he looked at the multitude of dragons on the ready to fight against the king that had callously cursed them and used them for his own gain, he believes that they have a fighting chance.

*****

For the first time in weeks he was able to just relax. He went towards the night clothes picked out, took off his shirt, and threw the nightgown on. He then went to his pants, taking them off quickly, before focusing on his legs. He sat on the bed, undid the picks and locks in his left leg that kept them in place, did the same for the right one. He then took a piece of wood, not his usual one, that was still in the… it wasn’t here so he had to make due, so he bit into the wood and pulled his stumps out from their place. it hurts like hell so that means he’s probably had them in for too long.

“What was that? Do you need any help?” Yugi said as she came into the room. Crap.

He tried to scramble away, cover himself up, do  _ something  _ but she saw. Saw the stumped wonder that he was, his metal legs too far away for him to put them back on.

“What th-”

“Please don’t tell anyone,” he begged as she took everything in.

“H-how?” she asked with wonder in her voice, in awe that a man such as himself has found himself with the ability to walk on his own two legs, metallic though they be. There was also curiosity in there, but he never heard that dreaded fear in her words, which both relieved him and made him more confused.

He was tempted not to say anything but one look in her wide eyes and he knew what he had to do.

_ Sigh _ “It was a long time ago. Seto and I were playing in the woods when a tree was knocked down. It was going to fall on Seto so I pushed him out of the way. Unfortunately, my legs didn’t survive the dive. He he,  _ cough _ , anyway I was sure that I was going to bleed there when someone came out from the woods and took me in. they cut off blood from the area, sawed off what I didn’t need, and crafted legs to replace what I lost. They had Seto help them, both because he was curious and because they wanted him to help build me new ones when I grew up so people wouldn’t find out.”

She took in his tale, glancing at his face and his legs in equal measure.

“And you never told anyone?”

He shook his head.

“And no one found out?”

“Well, most of them were busy with settling my father’s new wife. I also started to get dressed on my own to keep the servants from knowing. It’s really not that big of a deal,” he muttered, not really seeing anything impressive about it.

He was knocked onto the bed as Yugi wrapped her arms around him. Gods, he really was that short without his legs.

“How… how can you say that? You almost died and lost your legs and no one was there to help you,” she said as he tears wetted his nightgown.

“Hey, don’t worry, Seto was there to help. And it was to protect a friend so-” he tried to comfort her, but it only made it worse.

“That’s not the point! The point is you gave so much and you didn’t even trust your family to care for you!” she yelled at him, separating enough that he could see the trails of tears that came from her eyes.

He opens his mouth to argue with her but then closed it. She was right. He didn’t really trust them with it. Well, he trusted Timaeus, but he was a knight by that point and rarely home. He and Henry were living with each other but he never clicked with him quite like he di-does with Timaeus, and the less said about his relationship with his father the better. He didn’t even cry when his father passed.

“Yes, but I still had Seto to help me out, and I guess you too now.”

She blushed at those words, stammered for a bit, before taking a pillow and smashing his face into it.

“Yes I will, and I’ll start by making sure there are more than two people to care for these things,” She said before taking a leg under each arm and running out of the room, her tongue sticking out before she leapt past the door.

“Wait, what are you-  _ sigh,”  _ he felt on the bed, trying to get some sleep before the mayhem of tomorrow. But somehow, he felt lighter at that declaration.

*****

He sat at the table with Mam- his mother for their weekly tea. It was something he tried to do after he had gotten into the groove of actually governing, a way to keep in contact with the woman who loved him, raised him, fed him, and cared for him even after all the hardship she had to go through.

She’s done so much for him and he has no idea how to repay her. He could give her jewels, dresses, and all the luxuries that come with his status but she would not like them at all. And as much as he would be fine with her running off into the woods to live away from it all like she wanted, neither of them were stupid enough to believe that people wouldn’t try to grab her and use her to try to control him, so that was out of the question. So if she asks him if she could have a horde of animals that seems to grow by the day, he lets her. If she wants a secret garden, he asks where she wants it. And of course, if she asks for his time, he replies. But, despite what Seth thinks, that does not mean he has no negative feelings towards her.

A piece of him wanted to yell at her, demand why she kept him even after all the trauma of his conception, why she didn’t try to tell him, why she didn’t trust him with such information but that part got beaten down by the parts that remembered how she disliked attention, how she did her best to make sure he had all he needed, and how damaging it would be for him if the public learned the truth about how he was  _ really _ made, how the former king in a drunken stupor forced himself on the girl who had crowned him not even a half day ago because of her eyes, and not the story she made up that made herself out as a seductress who followed the hated queen’s orders to protect another.

“So how have things been?” she said with a smile on her face. Not a  _ real  _ smile, there were too many people here for that, but a smile more or less.

“Good, we’ve had a discussion with the dragons that had come here and they said that they would be willing to work with us to defend our country,” He said, as he hoped that his face shows none of his dark thoughts, “Yami was even reunited with his brother.”

It was a welcome surprise when he learned that bit of information, with the shine in those entrancing red eyes as he not only learned that his brother was alive, which was dampened when he learned that he personally left such a scar on someone so dear to them.

“Oh, and who is Yami again?”

His face felt hot as he recognized that in all the haste in going off to face the spunk of Zorc that he had ‘faced’ that he failed to tell Mama.

“Oh, he’s… a knight. From Atlantis. Who was  _ kind of _ part of a small group that decided to… attack me and the caravan last month. But they thought that it was the previous king, and they apologized for it, so I doubt that they would do  _ that _ again. Actually, I doubt they would even if they wanted to, considering that the man that almost stuck me is now a dragon that’s bigger than a house, and the other two ended up with a few more scaley features of their own. Not that they deserved it, I mean, Yami was just trying to do what he thought was right and Seto, that’s the other knight, probably just wanted to make sure he had some back-up. And if it wasn’t for them doing so in the first place, we would have been attacked without any warning. And Yami more than made up for that by protecting Me… myself, Mana and the others with enough time for some of the dragons to arrive. It’s actually quite odd that they were there when we were fighting, now that I think about it. But, somehow, I’m able to connect with the magic that the dragons’ were under and use them to drive them away. But that will only make the soldiers more determined, because it seems to fit into their idea that I’m an ‘evil king’ even though they are the ones that started it,” he paused, noticing that he was ranting before giving a cough and taking a sip of tea.

She took in those words, still sipping calmly while he tried to stuff his face with enough pastries to keep his mouth shut. It felt like forever when she takes that sip, but eventually she places it down gently and speaks.

“So, Yami is a knight that tried to kill you, with no reason, but it’s alright because he was cursed and then he protects you while you gain control of some dragons, who I assume were once people, to help in that battle that happened two weeks ago? The same dragons you’ve asked aid for and they accepted?” she summarized.

He nodded, both because his mouth was full of sweets and he didn’t want to make himself any more ridiculous.

One of the priests came in, not even knocking.

“My liege, we need you for the strategy meeting.”

Atem nodded before taking a sip to soften the sweets enough to swallow before getting up.

“I’m sorry but duty awaits. We’ll have to continue at some other point.” A point where he could actually explain himself to her.

He gave her a kiss on the cheek before leaving the room, glad to be out of  _ that _ sort of conversation. He barely notices that she is sipping her tea as he leaves with a queer look on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now Yami’s got a bucket full of guilt from his past actions. Seto, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to care all that much. Quite a bit telling for these two.
> 
> Yes, Yami has metal legs. No, it’s not realistic but then again this is a story where people can turn into dragons and magic is a known force, so fuck it.
> 
> Anthy while Atem is rambling: oh god, my son’s a dumbass.


	9. Spies and Sabotage

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which the Spy Master goes to confront one man, while another goes after the King.

“That lush of an asshole is up to something. I just know it,” the vulgar spy master said as he stormed down the halls.

“What makes you say that?” asked Mana, a sweet ball of sunshine that Yami was fortunate to have met at his time in the Sun palace. She is also devastating with her ability to create massive explosions that have helped them more than once in battle.

“Did you see his face when Temmie had to tell him and the other fucktards that we need to increase their taxes. He acted far too calm for my liking. Not to mention that my sources from that shitty-ass island can confirm that he had had Atlantean fucktards at his place,” he growled.

“You know, you might do better with the courts if you stopped calling anyone from a noble lineage a ‘fucktard’ and showed some proper respect,” he pointed out, tired of his vulgarity for the day.

“I can say whatever I fucking can to those stuck-up pricks, you nubbed tailed  **_fucktard_ ** ,” he yelled as he charged down the hall, Mana behind him.

He sighed. Well that’s a disaster. He might as well go and talk to Mahado. He seems to be one of the few people that can get a handle on the white-haired disaster’s temper.

_ Chomp _

Hm.

He looked down to see a dog. A lovely black dog with a long fluffy tail. His mind goes back to the family dog that they had when he was a boy, Ferdra, who went with Father on his hunting trips.

He went to the back of the adorable boy? No, girl, there seems to be no balls on her. At any rate, he scooped out the timid thing, she must have been hurt by someone, poor thing, and put her in his arms. The amber eyes of the doggie looked back at him with fear, so he tried to calm her down by rocking her back and forth in his arms.

“Oh Yami, wha-“ said a familiar voice, surprise evident in her tone.

He turned.

“Oh, Miss Anthy, I was just trying to convince the _spy master_ from charging off in some baseless assumption he had. By the way, do you know who owns this black dog? She seems to have been treated very badly and I would like to reprimand them on their treatment of such a _sweet_ _baby,”_ he told her before going back to comfort the pooch in his arms.

“Oh, she’s actually mine. I got her from the House of Rottson, but I’ve yet to get her out of such a fearful state,” she then went over to him to take her away from him, where the pooch melted in her arms, the very picture of relaxation, “Actually, I named her Yami, after the brave, noble knight who had helped my son so much in this awful business.” She finished with a winning smile on her face.

Oh… oh...

“How kind for you to do so, to give me the honor of being named after such a fine dog. I hope to be half as good as you think of me. Perhaps when things have settled, I could visit her to help you in her training. Have a good day,” he said as he went upon his day, chipper after such a delightful encounter.

Behinds him, Anthy glared back at the retreating form, noting the shine of metal the shone through the area where he was bitten.

****

He was sipping his wine, a lovely red with some notes of cherries and raspberries in the flavor, when the king’s loyal hound put a knife to his throat.

“Was that  _ really _ necessary?” he said, swirling the glass, not giving the man behind him the satisfaction of a reaction.

“That depends. How long have you been buddy-buddy with those asshats from Atlantis?” the man hissed back, emphasizing his question by pushing the blade harder against his throat. He supposes that’s what you would expect from a low-born thief.

“Long enough that they think I’m on their side.”

This gave the spy master pause before he lowered his blade. And yet he still hid behind his chair.

“Well, if you’re  _ going _ to ask me questions, I would think it would only be polite if I were at least able to see your face.” Really, does he have any manners.

The man snuck out from behind him and moved to the chair in front of him, keeping his blade close in hand.

He took another sip of wine, feeling quite satisfied at the anger the shorter man shot at him. He then hummed as he savored the aftertaste in his mouth. He then picked up his glass for another sip.

“Are you done or am I going to have to torture the information out of you?” the other screeched.

“Oh? And how would the other houses feel seeing one of their own being treated so cruelly for no reason?” he replied, giving an easy smile that made the smaller lose his temper.

“Cut the fucking crap, Pegasus! I fucking know you’ve been spying for that turquoise-haired ass that’s started this shitty ass war! Now  **TALK** !” the shorter shouted, slamming his blade against the chair, leaving a nasty cut in the wood.

He placed his glass to the side before answering, “And you not only assume that I’m giving him the right information, but that I’m the only one doing so.”

The spymaster’s form released some of its tension though the man still glared at him like he wanted to stab him in the chest.

“So what’s the catch?”

The catch was that he owed the king’s  _ dearly  _ beloved mother a favor, that if it wasn’t for her, his darling Cecilia would not be alive, he would be in mourning, and they would have never taken in their adorable twins as the heirs to his house. But like  _ he’s _ going to tell him that.

“Well, I like wine, beauty, and the occasional visit to the temples of Beibesa, and if Dartz had his way, I’d be deprived of all three.”

The spymaster gave him a suspicious glare.

“The fuck are you talking about?”

He rolled his eyes. “Really, do you think that  _ You’re _ the only targets for Dartz and his merry band of miscreants?”

“WHAT?!?” Great, more shouting. He grabbed his wine, not wanting to deal with him sober.

He nodded, “Yes, you see while you’ve been fighting the man solo, he’s been using his allies to cut down you and all of your ‘friends’ as it were.”

He savored the dumb-founded look on the shorter. He took another sip.

“Oh, by the way, you will probably have to run back, lest you want a dead kingie on your hands.”

He got out of his funk and jumped down to save the only royal he was loyal to, but not before him a glare that promises that things are  _ not _ over between them, leaving him alone on the balcony with his wine.

He took another sip as he brought out the lists of spies that were loyal, those that weren’t, and the greedy pigs that don’t care as long as they get paid.

He should have told him what to watch for, but where’s the fun in that?

***

It was easy enough to slip in with the inside help as he went into the kitchen, pretending to be a new hire as he helped prepare dinner for the day. Rich, succulent meat was prepared for the festivities at these spoiled brats chose to call a break from battle to celebrate some stupid holiday that involved one of their creepy cult gods or another. Really, how arrogant can you get? Well, they won’t be anymore as he put in a sleeping draught into the sauce, something that was tested to make  _ sure _ that anyone that ate it would fall and, more importantly,  _ stay _ asleep.

He then helped the servants take the food out as he made sure that most of the guards had their fill of the tainted meat as he then went over to the main table focusing in on the man at the head of the table, the king of this wretched place, the one who took his brother away. He went in and gave him a good heaping of the meat before going back and working on all the other officers and other important people, keeping his eyes away from the former crown prince, too hurt by his appearance. He then went back into the kitchen and helped them clean up as he waits for the poison to work.

It took only a few hours but to him it lasted for days. As soon as the kitchen staff around him started to nod off, he went on the move. First, he checked each of the guard posts, making sure they were truly asleep, then he started his quest.

He moved quickly, not knowing when anyone would wake up. He scanned each door, hoping to see which one had the insignia of the king’s apartments, the one that is only known to the servants. Where is it?

It was quite the distance from the guard post, in the upper rooms which took a while to get up to, all the better to protect their lord it seems. It took a while to find, he even heard footsteps.

Fuck, there were people still awake after all his efforts. They had even almost caught him, but he hid in a cabinet for a bit, careful to not reveal his spot as the people passed. It was close but he was better, having to hide from his step-father and his equally awful son. His mother was no help, being beaten by the cruel man and his brother…

Tears welled up before he harshly wiped them away. There was no time for that, he can cry afterwards. He got out and continued his search.

After at least an hour’s time searching, he finally found it. The king’s chambers, marked by an eye of Horus underneath the flying falcon that decorated most of the doors at this level.

He snuck in, too excited by his discovery to close the door. He found the king in his bed, fast asleep from the poison he put in at dinner. He went towards his scabbard, taking the blade out if it’s position. He moved over to the bed, seeing the king's young face, looking no older than…

He took the dagger into both his hands, ready to strike the fatal blow.

“This is for you, big brother,” he whispered as he brought the blade down on the sleeping king.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, Yami. You dumb, dumb boi. Anthy don’t like you a damn bit.
> 
> Pegusus is a fucking troll, even when he's a 'good' guy, and no one can tell me otherwise.
> 
> And who could the assassin be? ;p


	10. Assasination

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which death is averted and more of Dartz's character is revealed.

The blade was almost to its target when Yami and Seto came in. Yami ran towards the two and deflected the knife from the assassin’s hands as Seto went behind the miniature assailant to grab on to them.

The figure struggled against Seto’s grip, tossing and turning each way, knocking over their hood to reveal a familiar face.

“Mokuba?” Seto said in shock.

The child, good why in all the seven realms would they use a fucking child, slipped out of his loosened hold to turn to him. and indeed, it was Mokuba. Young, long-haired Mokuba looking at him like he had just risen from the dead.

“Big brother?” a teary-eyed Mokuba said as he looks upon his brother.

“Mokie, w-what are you doing here?” he asked as his younger brother brought his arms around him and squeezed like he was afraid that he would disappear.

“Seto,  _ hiccup _ Oh, Seto,  _ hiccup _ they,” he sniffled, “They said that you died! That the king here killed you and hung your corpse for all to see! I…. I had to do something! You know how  _ they _ are and…. And the king offered me a way to avenge you! But you’re here, you’re here! You’re here!”

He took in those words as he comforted Mokie, taking in just what the fuck that sick bastard, one he once swore an  _ oath  _ to did to his younger brother. He lied to the kingdom, lied to his family, then  _ manipulated _ his  **_grieving brother to be his own assassin!_ ** He knew that man was twisted but if he wasn’t already working with the Esmian in this war, he would have joined them and presented them with his head.

Honestly it didn’t surprise him that his ‘ _ loving’  _ step-family would allow Mokuba to do such a thing. With both heirs to the title dead, that slimy dog that his mother had married to keep their house from falling to disrepair could put his brat of a son as the next head of their household from their house.

“Shhh, shhh, It’s alright now, you’re safe,” he spoke as he heard the door slam open, several people coming in but none of them mattered now, only Mokuba.

“The fuck happened here?” yelled that annoying man in red that,  _ somehow _ , was the competent spy master of this kingdom. Mokuba tensed in his arms.

“Nothing, there was an… assassination attempt but we fought them off. But they got away, so you don’t need to do anything else here,” Yami lied,  **badly** .

“Oh, really?” the spy master said in a sweet voice before yelling, “Then who the  **fuck** is the ice dick holding?”

“DON’T YOU DARE TALK TO MY BROTHER LIKE THAT!” he roared at the ass, ready to dig the claws he has to give him some new scars.

“No, no, Seto, I can take it. You don’t have to protect me,” his brother said, calming. Bullshit, like he was going to have his brother be punished for the actions someone else planted in his head.

He then stood on shaking legs, acting more like a man then the pathetic excuse of a human being that tricked him to do this, “Yes, this was an attempt on this king’s life. And yes, the assassin is me. Do what you will.”

The scarred bastard scoffs, “Yes, I figured  _ that _ out. Now, how about you tell me who set this up and how they were able to do it?”

Mokuba nods, far too calm about this.

“Yes, well, the one who ordered us in was King Dartz and Commander Ak-“

The collar around Mokuba’s neck started to glow as his younger brother screamed. He started to choke, his face turning blue. Seto could only look on in terror as his brother, one of the few people he trusts in this twisted, horror-show of a world, is dying in front of him and he is unable to do anything. He tries to tear at it but nothing he did helped, the collar only getting tighter.

His eyes run with tears as his brother is dying and he’s unable to do anything, his mind blanking out on anything but trying to get him out of that deathtrap around his neck.

Suddenly, a woman in red came to Mokuba’s side, placed her hands on the collar, and chanted. And just like that Mokuba was free, free from the collar, free from a kingdom that would use a grieving child as a tool of war, free from the clutches of their stepfather, … and free from the price of failure.

Unfortunately, the bastard in red saw things differently, because he and the guards behind him tore his brother from his arms. He rose ready to tear those assholes a new one, before he felt a clawed hand on his shoulder.

He turned to Yami, ready to yell as his love-sick ass, but then he saw the look in his eyes, a look that told him that he understood what he was feeling but attacking them wouldn’t help Mokuba.

That still didn’t stop his glare at the dumbass, full of righteous anger at the situation, his condition, and everything wrong that happened in his life but especially at the holier-than-thou king who talks of justice to the crowds and sends a  _ child  _ to kill his enemies.

“I.. I know you’re pissed, as you should be, but  _ they _ aren’t the ones who put Mokuba up to this. And I doubt that Atem would allow them to do anything  _ bad  _ to him,” the idiot said, a blush on his cheeks as he mentions his infatuation’s name.

“And what evidence do  _ you  _ have for that?” he hissed.

“Um… us?”

Fuck, the mutt’s stupidity’s contagious. It couldn’t be Yami’s, he’s been around him for years.

“Fine, but only until because I trust your opinion. But if anything happens to Mokuba…”

He went off, not willing to be separated from his brother after all this.

********

The guards still awake took the boy away, Seto trailing behind him.

He couldn’t do anything other than see him leave, his mind just focusing on what just happened.

He… he almost died. In his sleep. He only woke up due to all the screaming and all these people in his bedroom. It was the only thing he could think of.

After that, he couldn’t sleep. How could he, when he almost died in his bed.

“So, Dartz sent a literal child to kill me?” he said, trying to process what happened.

“Yup,” Afekia answered, not letting him stay there without someone by his side.

“And the reason he stopped was because Seto is his brother?”

“That’s what it seems like.”

He took that in.

“The fuck is wrong with that man?”

He shrugged, “Hmnn, not that you have room to say anything.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, just, you know, the fact you’re  _ fantasizing over the guy that almost killed you!” _ Afekia said in an accusing tone.

“I, I, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he stuttered, looking away from the man who knew him since he was a babe.

“Oh, please it’s obvious to anyone who’s seen you two in a room together that you fancy him, for some unknown reason,” Afekia shot back before continuing, “Honestly, I don’t care how you and Yugi deal with things once you get married-”

“Opfh, we haven’t even talked about such things, more or less agreed to get engaged, not that she wants someone like me.”

The spy master glared at the interruption, “Anyway, WHEN you and Yugi get married, I don’t want you to be with some spoiled brat who’s so stupid a bag of rocks is smarter, I want you to be with someone like Mahado.”

“Aren’t  _ you _ with Mahado?” he shot back, tired of the insults.

“Yes. Which is why I want you to be with someone  _ like _ Mahado,” he said in a matter of fact tone.

He sighed, “I don’t see why you care so much about me and my ‘supposed’ interest in Yami, who is in fact a nice person who was misled about a lot of things I’ll have you know. Honestly, it seems like He and Yugi would get engaged more than anything.”

“… You can’t be serious,  **THEM** !”

“Yes, them. I mean, Yami is so courteous and brave, and Yugi’s always been sweet and clever, not to mention they are both so kind and amazing, why wouldn’t they be together?”

His scarred eye twitched, “…  _ You’re _ the fucking king! Why wouldn’t Yugi want to marry you!”

“Because she’s been helping me long enough to know all the work that goes into that position. Not to mention that weird custom I’ve read about where people watch the king and queen consume their marriage,” he replied, shivering at the creepy voyeuristic ritual.

“Then tell them to fuck off and do something else to check if you two fucked! And you obviously miss the part where she cares enough about you to want to be with your dumbass.”

He gets up, not wanting to hear about the man who’s known him since he first learned to walk, talk about his love life, or rather his lack of one. Maybe his cousin-in-law can make him a sleeping draught.

********

The boy was put in a cell. A nice cell but a cell all the same. No matter how hard Seto tried to argue that he was being manipulated, it does not change the fact that the little thing had been gathering intel, spreading lies that had caused many lives to be lost, had drugged the majority of the Sun Palace, and almost successfully tried to assassinate the king. Pretty effective for a ten-year-old brat.

Afekia was fortunately one of the few who managed to  _ not _ eat the drugged meat, but that was only due to not even being around to begin with while Isis didn’t even eat hers. And it was pheasant, prepared just the way she likes it. and it was a good thing that he did, because even if the mini-mop hadn’t succeeded, there was a small group that came in to finish the job.

They didn’t expect for him and the pissed off dragons to be a thing.

Nor did they anticipate that some of the guard didn’t even eat meat. Or had stupid, suspicious friends like him. Joey was quite lucky in that regard. He and Honda managed to give more than a few of those mooks their just deserts. He went over to get a look at the kid, rage building in him at the kid’s defeated state, like he was going to be executed for this.

He probably won’t. Temie’s many things, but ruthless isn’t one. Heck, he managed to get buddy-buddy with the guys who tried to kill him, he even goes moon-eyed of the less dickish of the pair (well, the humanish pair, their dragon buddy still a bit of a dick but not  _ nearly  _ as bad as Mister Stick-up-his-ass). He even tried cheering up the kid but it seems to only make him feel worse. Not to mention that his ass of a brother kept acting like an overprotective asshole when he’s there, which puts the kid on edge.

He decided to go to the dragon park after that. Least there he won’t have to deal with that paranoid prick.

“ _ What are  _ **_you_ ** _ doing here? _ ”

And there’s  _ this  _ prick.

“What, can’t I visit my friends?” he said moving deeper into dragon territory.

The huge dragon gave a snort.

“ _ Like I would associate with you outside of these circumstances,”  _ he dismissed, as if people would want to be in his ‘lovely’ presence.

“What? The ones where Pur decided to give yar dumb butt a dose of karma early? Or the ones where ya was stupid enough ta put on a cursed ring?” he shot back.

His huge green head turned away, though from what he couldn’t tell.

“ _ As much as I want to admonish Kyouichi for his behavior, the fact is that the rings status was hidden by all and not because he didn’t think things through, _ ” came the soothing voice of  Critias  , a distant relative of the ass he was trying to avoid who, thankfully, had none of his shitty attitude.

“Hehe, sorry fer dat. Just venting at his dumb butt. Anyway, I’ve got samething ta ask ya?”

“ _ Yes. _ ”

“Well, dis kid, Mokuba, well, he’s takin’ it hard since he was caught. ‘Nd dat doesn’t make sense, caus’ Tem’s a big softy, ya know, even with death attempts. Especially death attempts. So why’s he so scared?”

Critias looked confused at that. Like he said that the moon is made of cheese and butter or that Kaiba is a decent person deep down.

After a few moments, he got his answer. But not from Critias.

“ _ Because unlike the ‘softy’ in charge here, Mokuba grew up in a court where assassins would get executed for their plans, though not before torturing them to reveal their employer. Not to mention he learned that the king he was sent to kill has more mercy than the one who sent him here. And it doesn’t matter if he was tricked or that he wasn't successful, people both in and out of the palace would cry out for his blood,” _ dragon dick said in a casual tone, as if he was talking about the weather.

“Bu- but he’s a kid!” he yelled back.

“ _ That doesn’t change the facts. So the king better think quick before he has to execute him. _ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, Mokie be an assassin for his bro. While I admit to not being the first person who wrote this, I can’t help but love the idea. Of course, the other person and I had very different ideas on how to execute the concept. 
> 
> *tomato thrown to my face*
> 
> Whaaaat.


	11. Gathering Allies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Atem meets other rulers and discovers he wasn't the only one who Dartz sent an assassin to kill. Also Yugi is called out by her friends.

He looked at the small boy, barely older than he was when he took the throne, as he was constricted by his older brother, worry and fear evident in his features. He really should feel angry at him. He  _ did _ try to kill him AND poisoned the rest of the castle for his ‘ _ buddies’ _ to finish them off. But all he felt for him was pity. Pity and anger at the twisted  _ son of a bitch _ that would manipulate a child to be a hitman, knowing that the boy could very well be executed for his task. At least Seto and Yami were able to stop things before anyone got hurt.

He looked down at his drink, hoping that something will come up, that he can figure out how to punish the boy without losing the two knights in the process, that he can learn how they were able to plant someone into the palace and what else they could have done. Yes they’re close  **now** , but he doubts that Seto would continue to help him if he manages to do anything  **bad** to his younger brother. And Yami… as…  _ dear  _ as he has been, he is certain that he would follow Seto if he abandons them in their defense against Atlantis and whatever allies they managed to scrape together.

He winces at that. He really has gotten attached to the headstrong man. And it isn’t even that those feelings supplanted the ones he already has for Yugi. No, he just  **_has_ ** to be the special kind of bitch that falls for two people at once. And he can’t even  _ tell _ them ‘cause then they might feel pressured into liking him, either in their own heads or from his friends/subjects/any-random-stranger-on-the-street that wants to butt in. Because royal’s a btich like that.

A knock on the door knocks him out of his downward spiral.

“Sire, there are calls coming in from the crowns of Argentèe Lune and Früchtekorb. They say it’s urgent.“

The fuck?

”Very well. Tell them I’ll be there soon,“ he replied, putting on his king mask.

He gets up from his seat and walks to the mirror room, a bare, cold room that was suggested by a council member to keep the other government from spying, wondering what was so important that they would use the magic mirrors to call him.

He took in the two faces in the mirrors, a teary-eyed Usagi and a furious Akito. He has a strong suspicion why that is, but he’d rather hear it than assume the worst.

“My lady, my lord, may I inquire why it is you called this meeting?“ he said in a diplomatic tone. He may be close to the Lunen heir but this is not the time for such informalities, especially with the temperamental Black King also in attendance.

This neutral approach proved to be a poor choice.

” **Cut the fucking crap** ! We all know why we’re here! That fucking bitch Dartz sent assassins to kill us! All because he had a hornet up his ass about  _ your _ father, based on what I was able to gather from the little brat. And I’m sure he’s had a few successes, based on how easily he was able to get these little demented trolls into our castles to begin with,“ the other king screamed before throwing something at the door, a cup based on the shatter but it could very well have been a vase or statue.

”It’s not just Atlantis. Terra was also part of the attack,“ the princess said in an empty, somber voice, far different from her usually chipper tone, a few sniffles here and there that made the black king growl, ”I can’t believe it. They… They…” She burst into tears after that, her husband of only a few months coming in to comfort her.

“What Serenity means to say is that the assassin posed as a gift from my father and he had even helped them in their attempt to kill the royal family, a barrier to keep some of the more experienced warriors out. It was only due to magic, luck, and our medical staff that the Queen is alive, though she might not be long for this world,” Usagi’s new husband clarified as he comforted the crying girl.

He took that in. He wanted to comfort her too but he did not want to do so in front of the temperamental king.

“Oy, Kingie, got a list of the dumbasses that decided to start this fucking war with the three of you.”

He turned to see Afekia, a list in his hand.

“There’s  **_MORE_ ** ?” yells the other king.

“Yup. It seems that Sonsuz Rüya has decided to join Terra and Atlantis in trying to take our lands to fill their own pockets, or vengeance. The Terran king was all about revenge for his lost heir, at least according to these notes.”

“H-how did you get such information so easily?” Usagi stammered out between the tears.

“Well, they just so happen to have a poor sense on who to trust since my source not  _ only  _ figured out all the nobles supporting them but also the one who are willing to spy on them as well,” Afekia explained with a shit-eating grin on his face

”Well, then, if that’s the case, what are we waiting for? If they joined forces to attack us, why don’t we do the same,” Akito said with a sinister grin on his face. Perhaps this war would be a good way for the black king to funnel his destructive energy into something productive instead of his family.

He turned to Usagi, who while still crying gained a determined glint in her eye as she agreed with Akito.

“Right, we’ve already been fighting them for a while, but that was before we learned of their allies. We’ll set up for your arrival and send some dragons to pick you and your generals.”

“What?” all three shouted, though he noticed that Akito’s was more angry than surprised.

“I’ll explain more once you’re here but sufficient to say, we and these dragons have a common goal. So don’t worry about them harming you.”

“…Well, if you’re sure,” Usagi said, unsure but trusting him. Her husband eyed him in suspicion, a bit annoying since he was her friend before the two of them had even met, but a reasonable concern, since it was his own father who was part of the attack.

“Yes, I’m sure. We’ll meet in a weeks’ time.”

Akito for his part nodded and turned the mirror off.

He then turned to Usagi, one of his first friends that he made in his new role in life.

“Hey,” he said, free to express his sympathies, “if you want to stay there and be there for your mom, don’t feel like you have to come.”

She shook her head at that.

“No, no. I.. I need to be there, to know what’s happening, to step up and be the Queen that Mama wants me to be,” she declared before smiling, “But thank you for the offer.”

Her image then faded from the mirror as he saw his own face on the surface. He then left the room to talk to the counsel with Afekia by his side.

****

Yugi looked through the list as Anzu, Isis, and Ryou helped her figure out how to host their new allies in this war with all that is going on.

“Do we have enough meat for the feast, or can we substitute in more bread and potatoes to keep them fed? And are there enough deserts?”

“These are the months when the Lunenite abstain from delicacies so our stores will be sufficient, and even if it was later in the year I doubt that they would be in the mood to celebrate as is,” Isis answered in a diplomatic tone, Serenity (Joey’s sister, not the princess who was coming here) close at hand to aid her older lover.

“I’ll go check on the rooms again. I want to make sure they’re perfect,” Anzu said as she got up from the table.

“Especially Lady Aino’s room, right?” She said with a smirk, enjoying the blush on her long-time friend's face at the jab at her and Aino’s relationship. Ryou just shook her head as she focused on the papers in front of her.

She had a chuckle as Anzu left the room before focusing on the papers in front of her. All this work to make sure everyone is on the same page and that they are all in this campaign, not to mention all that their own knights are taken advantage of. She saw Kyouichi, one of the green dragons that they had housed/rescued had hidden in the borough that they made so the former humans can have some amount of privacy. According to Anzu and the gossip trail, he is the younger brother of the Duchess of Neptune who went with his mother when their parents got divorced. She felt a bit bad for him, having your family see you in such a state knowing that your choices, however well-meaning, caused you to be cursed and changed into a form that can only speak with the help of a spell that has the potential to stop at any possible moment. At least in theory. It hasn’t gone off yet, but heck if she knows why.

Ryou sighed.

“I don’t see why you’re bothering Anzu so much about her lover with that mess you, the king, and the rose knight have going on.”

She blushed as Ryou brought  _ that  _ elephant out into the open.

Her mind brings up the practice battles the two get into, Yami with a confident handle on his blade, his sharper teeth giving him an feral look that has left her with more than a few fantasies at the marks they could leave, trading blows with Atem, his ever handsome features gaining a fine sheen as they show just how much the boy from the edge of woods grew into a tall, eye-catching figure. And then it brought to mind the dreams she had with the two of them kissing in front of her, among other things.

A snap got her out of her head. She shook her head as she took in the amused face of Anzu, who must have come in after she drifted off.

“I… It doesn’t matter what I think about this whole thing. I mean, the King can have whoever he wants, why would he settle on someone like me when he could have a dashing foreign knight. And it’s not like I’m from some great noble family either, or  _ any  _ noble family for that matter, so I don’t really have  _ that _ going for me.”

She stared at the documents in front of her, hoping that there was something there that she could use to get out of this conversation.

“I… I’m just me,” she said in a small voice, wanting to move on from this.

“Exactly. You are Yugi Mouto, one of the kindest, resourceful, and selfless people I know. Who wouldn’t want to be with you?” Anzu pointed out.

_ You _ , that small part that used to imagine herself in Anzu’s arms and is bitter she isn’t spoke up before she punched it back down. She never told her about her infatuation and it really wasn’t fair for her to blame Anzu for wanting someone more exciting than her.

“That doesn’t mean that either of them have any obligation to like me,” she sighed taking in the pitying looks from the other ladies in the room, “Look, can you just let go of this? Please?”

They nodded before going back to the stack of papers in front of them, working to make sure that things were perfect for their guests.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If your confused on the names of the countries, and their part in this conflict, they are;
> 
> Esmia(our main boo), Argentèe Lune (Silver moon in French, land-based silver millennium w’ French vibes), Früchtekorb (Fruit’s basket in german, basically what if the god from the FB zodiac tale formed his own country): protagonists/ The Golden Coalition;
> 
> Atlantis(the main intigator, with shitty chivalry and sexism all around), Terra (Galicia for earth, UK in many ways including hating the french), Sonsuz Rüya (dreaming eternal in Turkish, Esmia and Früchtekorb less prosperous neighbor who want a piece of their wealth & prestige): antagonists/ The Noble Bond
> 
> And yes, Yugi and the other ladies be taking care of the country while their boys (and girls) duke it out with the douche in blue.
> 
> Also Isis and Serenity (Yugioh) are together (as are Anzu ‘nd Minako), it’s allowed because in this world there is a concept called Miriage, which is official permission to have a thang on the side as long as they share the same equipment. But Isis and Serenity are different in that it’s polyamorous w/ Seth being with Isis at Serenity’s boo.
> 
> Also, Atem is taller than cannon, only because he died at such a young age when he was alive. Since there was no major attack against his kingdom until after puberty, he’s taller than the pharaoh who sacrificed so much at a young age. He's still shorter than Seth and the rest of his male relatives, though.


	12. War Rooms and Communication

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which awkward conversations are had and Atem's feelings make him cut a meeting short.

For a war meeting, there wasn’t much being done. Mostly a lot of talking, from where he stands. He glances at Mahado as he gives the latest rundown on what has been happening in their battles against Atlantis and its allies.

“And that concluded on what we know about the Rose Rings and what can you expect from them. Onto more current developments, several of our generals have reported that the Atlanteans have started placing individual soldiers up from in their battles, each of them equipped with a glowing green stone that gives them somewhat greater strength and  _ far _ less concern for their own safety, which is lucky for us because the longer they fight, the stronger they become. And it seems like these objects are cursed as well, due to the fact that the few we have captured after battle seem to be in a deep trance, like they have lost their souls. Now, if you would look here…”

Atem tunes out the rest of what Mahado was saying, having already heard it earlier. Instead, he takes in the people that are in the room, each of them with their own reasons for joining in this conflict. The first person he spotted was Afekia, mooning over his lover as he talked strategy, with Karim being equally as focused but for reasons of a less sexual nature, Seth and his Atlantean lookalike generally focusing, but more importantly actively avoiding their twin in all but blood. After that was Lady Mizuno, Duchess Hino, and the one known as Pluto as the Argentean that were focused on what Mahado was saying, while Duchess Kino and Aino were more focused on Mahado’s appearance, Duchesses Kaioh and Tenoh on each other and Usagi on a letter from her husband, who offered to stay and run the kingdom which she was off to war. After them there were the representatives from Früchtekorb, who were mostly non-descript except for their volatile king, his scheming right-hand (though what he was scheming is another question entirely), his long-putover servent and doctor, and a general who seemed to hold more leverage over the king than the others. After that were the last few from his group here, Shadi, a priest from his father’s time, Lord Bakura, who was mostly there to inform his lover, who couldn’t  _ technically  _ be in the room due to him still being a foreign consultant, and Yami, the other knight who changed allegiance once he knew the price that his loyalty cost him. He blushed at the handsome knight. He had spent many a sleepless night wondering what it would feel like to be in the shorter man’s arms, to feel the place where skin turns to scale, and to see if his tongue was also transformed or if it was left untouched.

He shook his head and sipped a bit of his wine.

This is no time to be thinking about such things especially with an audience here. And anyways, why would he be interested in him when the dashing man could have anyone he wanted. He almost assumed that he and the Seth-lookalike were a thing, before Seto had quickly squashed it when his brother asked.

He tried to steer his thoughts to Yugi, since his own feelings for her were usually less… heady. But it seems his new infatuation had even painted those established feelings with a brushstroke of lust with his traitorous mind brought to mind an arousing fantasy, Yugi in front washing his chest, while Yami was in the back, all three of them nude and touching and…

“I believe that a break is in order. We’ll meet again in two hours time to discuss things in more detail,” he shouted, praying to any god that would listen that none of them notice his… situation.

Mahado gave him a confused look as he marched out of the room, not even sparing a glance to the table. Which was for the worst since if he would have, he would have noticed the gleam in a pair of interested eyes.

****

He had gone back to his room to deal with his… problem, wash away the evidence, and change into something appropriate for dinner. (He usually finds the notion of changing multiple times a day wasteful and usually only does it with company, but for this instance it was a godsend. But which god should he give thanks to…)

His musings about gods and whose domain is it that nobles change clothes so frequently was interrupted when he was grabbed by the shoulder. He turned his head to see the Duchess of Neptune behind him, an odd gleam in her eye.

“Ah, yes, Lady Kaioh.”

“Your Majesty, I would like to discuss something with you. In private,” she said in a calm tone, but in a way that suggested that if he did not, he would have to sleep with one eye open.

“Of course,” and just like that she dragged him away.

He was brought into a private room by the Duchess of Neptune, a dark look on her face.

“How do you know that the dragons were once people?” she asked in a tone so sharp that it could cut steel. This made his blood run cold. This is pretty out of character for her, because she was usually quite indirect and civil with others. He had seen her cut down a rude and persistent suitor with a few choice words and a smile on her face. This was not like that. Not at all.

He looked away, afraid of what she would do as he answered.

“I… I saw it happen before my eyes. There… was this man… Saionji, I think he was called, or at least that’s what Seto said his name was. He… he tried to  **kill** me. Tried to cut off my head. And then… he transformed right in front of me.”

“Did you know?” she said in a deadly voice

“What?”

“Did you know that this would happen beforehand?” she said, the air getting colder as she spoke.

“What! No! I didn’t even know that Atlantis even had that kind of thing, let alone that they have some hate-on for the previous king, which  _ somehow _ I inherited even though he was never around!” he screamed, pissed off that this was even happening.

“So what you are saying it that the King of Atlantis  _ knowingly _ gave his ‘rose guards’ cursed rings with an unknown trigger that would change them into unthinking dragons that would rampage across the kingdom until some idiot with a sword stops them through maiming or death, giving them the same ring that curse his predecessor and continuing on with his life,” she stated, cold rage giving way to images of the duchess cutting Dartz’s head off herself. With a rusty spoon.

“Yes, to a point. Mahado discovered that even though their… form has changed, they are fundamentally the same person as they are when they were cursed. And don’t worry, he has been working around the clock to figure out what exactly the trigger is,” he said, privately relieved that she had focused her fury on another.

She was quiet for a moment, taking in all the information he gave her. He was tempted to escape but he was also afraid that if he did she would hunt him down and drag him off again. He was already the butt of the joke for the Kuribo family, who seems to have it out for him for trying to be able to distinguish who was who amongst their many members. He didn’t want to be teased for being dragged in public by a woman half his size (well a woman that wasn’t Yugi but still).

“Can you take me to them?”

“Hm?”

She sighed as if she were talking to a child, “Can you take me to where the dragons are at?”

Oh, that makes sense.

“Yes.”

They walked through the corridors, the silence deafening and intense. The way the air is like before a devastating storm, or like how Mako described a destructive wave coming towards a ship.

“So, may I ask why you are so interested in the dragons?” he said, trying to lessen the oppressive atmosphere.

The silence returned, still taut but felt far less threatening.

“There is someone close to me that is part of the Rose Guard. He was quite proud of joining and being part of it. I… I haven’t heard from him in a while and I worry that he’s… among the group you have.”

“Ah. May I ask who?”

“No.”

The silence returned yet again but it was more comforting than before. In fact, it was kind of nice when they had moved to the field where the dragons have made a temporary abode. Some of them collected boulders to make make-shift caves, others created lakes for their beds, and some dug holes.

Joey was there, around just as much for the dragon’s protection as for the citizens. He was putting some kids onto one of the more easy-tempered ones, Hermos he thinks his name is.

“Hey, Kingiee, who's the broad?”

Ah, Joey, too familiar to be proper. It’s something that he usually enjoys from the blond but this is  _ not _ the time for that.

“Joey, this is Lady Kaioh, Duchess of Neptune.” Please get the hint.

“Eh, why ya acting so weird? Ya talking it up just like that rich-ass Kaiba?” the blond said. He mentally smacks the dumb blond in his head. There is a time and a place to be acting like this, but in front of allies that we need in this war, especially those who seem to be all about decorum, is **not one of them!**

One of the dragons then spotted them, or more likely their guest, and when galloping into one of the holes in the ground. One of the smaller holes.

“Eeeaa, Kyouichi, the fuu-gus are ya doin’? Ya coulda hurt one ov da kids, ya goober.”

Somehow, those words brought her out of her state of shock because she then walked calmly to the half-buried dragon, who was struggling to push himself deeper into the hole.

“Kyouichi,” she spoke in a calm voice. The kind of calm that an older sibling gives off when they are dealing with a particularly dumb decision that their sibling has made. (Isis has spoken in such a tone when talking to Malik about any number of things, Timaeus and Seto scolded their younger brothers for their reckless actions, Even Joey has gotten it when questioning his sister about her current relationship with the dukery of Kemet.)

The dragon stilled. He then got a better look at it, and found it was the one he saw transform in front of him. Who also tried to kill him. And unintentionally helped start the war they’re fighting. Greattt….

She put a hand on his flask, “Kyouichi.”

And like that the dragon slowly backed out of the hole, showing his sister in full the form he now has.

“Oh+, Kyouichi,” she said as she threw her arms around one of his legs, she then muttered something. He speaks back, using the spell to keep their words to themselves. They talked for a bit, while he helped the kids get on so they can climb up and then slide down the scales of the large dragon, thankful that none of them were able to get to the spiky ridges that covered his back.

He was helping one of the girls when he senses the duchess behind him.

“A-hem.”

“Yes,” he said, still focused on his task but very aware of the woman behind him.

“I would like to thank you for being so kind to my brother, even when you had ground to not do so.”

He nodded, then remembered that he was not facing her.

“Ah, yes, there’s no problem. It’s not the first time I helped someone that tried to kill me,” he remarked, remembering the first time he met his cousin.

“Still, that’s better than most people would do.”

There was a pause as the girl finally got a good hold on one of the scales and started climbing up the napping being. He then turned towards her.

“What now?”

She gave a cold laugh.

“Now? Now I’ll crush those fools for daring to use my brother’s trusting nature in such a way,” her eyes focused on his draconic form as the kids swarm him, hoping that they would get to actually ride a dragon this time, “By the time I’m through, they would wish that they had never invoked my wrath.”

Strangely, those words comforted him a bit. It was better to know that what Dartz had done was wrong even by highborn standards, even by a little bit.

Just then a servant came running towards him, her face red as if she ran across a battlefield. She stopped to catch her breath before she said those dreaded words.

“Sire, the queen Mother has been kidnapped!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case it wasn’t clear enough, Michiru and Saionji are sibs here. I got this idea from docholligay, and it really seems to fit them.And yes, the scandalous thing that Seto was hinting (more like sledgehammering) at was that their parents divorced, with mamma taking their competent daughter to be duchess and papa getting the failure of the family
> 
> And in case you're wondering what she’s saying, here is an interpretation of those words: “This is all that bitch Touga’s fault isn’t it?” Again, pretty much what she says but in a more elegant way.
> 
> My fave line that I wasn't able to use: “How dare you taint our rivalry with such petty things as lust!”-Seto’s feelings when people refer to him and Yami as a couple. Also what he told Mokuba when asked if they were a couple.
> 
> And boy, Anthy gets kidnapped a lot in this series. Well, only twice, but still.


	13. Kidnapped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Anthy sees her captor and Mana is best girl

The room was gorgeous, a place that any royal would be happy to rest in. The room was large with a lovely view of the gardens, silk sheets covering a feathered mattress complete with the softest pillows that she had even known. A large mirror with all the perfumes and makeup that a person could want, with an equally extravagant wardrobe, with an elegant dress for every occasion and then some. There was even a little bed for any pet she should have, just as refined as the one for her.

A beautiful room all in all, but a cage is still a cage. At least that damned priest didn’t put on a show of caring for her, like her captors now.

The door opened to see a face that she had not seen in years.

“Big brother!” she chipped joyfully but warrily, almost giving into the urge to wrap her arms around him, but holding back due to how peculiar it was.

“Anthy, it’s been far too long,” he said as he strode over and wrapped his arms around her.

His arms around her chipped enough of her resolve that she returned the embrace, “It has been. But… why am I here?”

He releases her, still keeping an arm around her as he gestures to the rest of the room.

“Isn’t it lovely, all the comforts that one would need, free access to the gardens, and look,” he then snapped his finger, when a servant came in with a small blue creature. She was tempted to say it was a mouse, but its features resembled that of the monkeys that she heard existed in the southern lands. He puts the small thing in her free hand, not letting her other hand go to steady the being in her arms, “A little friend for you. I got him from a merchant for a pretty hefty sum, just because I know you would like it.” He smiled, answering everything but what she asked.

“… It is very nice, but that still doesn’t answer the question.”

He looked surprised at that, as if she would be happy to be taken out of the place that she stayed at for so long and put into some bedazzled cell. He loosened the grip on her hand, but she couldn’t find it within herself to pull it away.

“Why are you here? Why, because I brought you here, I used an arrogant fool who wanted the country that  _ that _ man had, the one I told you about in my letters, and so, when I learned you were in the castle, I had some of my people come in and rescue you from that fossil.” He then placed a hand over her cheek, but it did not bring the comfort he thought it would. No, instead there was only dread.

“T-that man is dead. That’s what I told you in my last letter. The one with the lavender ring.”

“Then it’s his nephew that we’ll kill.”

She shook her head.

“No, t-the stories, the stories of the crown, the legend that only those of the king’s line can be crowned. They’re true, the wretched thing knew about him, about my son, your nephew. He-he’s the king now. You-we don’t need to attack. Not At-“

He smacked her, finally releasing her from his grip. She held the bruise as she looked up at him, his eyes with a madness that she had never seen before.

“No, that is not my kin. That is a fleshy tumor that you’ve grown attached to,” he said with loathing dripping from each word, chilling her to the bone. His form shook in pure rage as he took deep breaths to calm himself.

He then left the room, slamming the door behind him and locking her in.

She looks at the poor thing in her arms, so small he looks like a child. Her mind brings up the last time she held something so fragile in her arms, how scared she was that such a small thing had caused so much pain to come out. She hugged the little one, singing soft songs that she once sang to her little boy.

“Shuuuuush, don’t worry, everything is going to be alright Chu-Chu, don’t worry,” she muttered, trying to comfort both the little one in her arms and herself.

***

It has been three weeks since Miss Anthy was captured. And in those three weeks, Atem has been in his room, depressed beyond all relief. Everyone has been doing their best to cheer him up, or at least get out so they could find her, but even going out of his room seems to be a big challenge these days.

Usagi, the newly crowned Queen of Argentèe Lune, empathized very much with him, having lost her own mother so soon after they joined the war. Akito was less so but that’s because his own relationship with his mother is so bad, she was convicted that he would dance on her grave after pissing on her corpse when she finally passed away.

In that time, the people that made up the council had to pick up the slack and keep the kingdom running. Mahado worked with Karim, Yami, Seto, and the other commanders to plan their next move and what strategies to implement. The girl squad (which is completely different from the DM squad that she commands to bring in some magical firepower to the field) and Seth came through in handling the day to day boring paperwork that frankly is super boring but somehow helps with food for the troops and keeping people from freaking out about the dragons that have made their place in the big open plains between the main castle and the forest area. Even Afekia and Bakura are helping out, with the lord asking around to find who knew about the taking in high circles and Afekia going to the low ones, and the occasional robbery to see what they are hiding. (He seems convinced that Pegasus is part of it, but if anything, he’s more pissed about it than anyone else outside their circle.)

And then there’s her. The disgraced and disowned lady who didn’t have enough education to help in either of those groups. Sure, she goes out for a battle or two to help out (she still savors Jadeite scream of terror as she blasted him with an ice beam), but none of that was going to help Temmie get out of bed.

She sighed.

“What’s wrong?”

She turned to see Tomoyo, the seer that came from the Xian battalion. (She didn’t know why, but apparently Atem left such a big impact on the traveling group that came a few years ago, that they went and got a volunteer group to come here and help them in their battles.)

“Well… it’s just… everyone else is  _ doing _ something to help out Atem with everything that’s been happening, and here I am just sitting on my butt, waiting for someone to call me to fight in some battle or another. I don’t know, I… I just feel so useless.”

She put a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave her a sweet smile.

“Maybe the best thing you can do is just listen,” Tomoyo said, close enough that she could smell her perfume, a sweet jasmine that she could never get enough of.

“But everyone else offered. Master, Affie, even Yugi can’t seem to get him out of that funk,” she slumped, tired of feeling like an old piece of stale bread that got left in the pantry.

“Well, have you tried?”

And just like that, it hit her like a lightning bolt.

“Oh my Ra, you’re brilliant,” she said before giving her a kiss on the cheek (she’s do it on her lips but she didn’t know how they took such things in Xian) and ran off, excited about the possibility to be doing something for one of her closest friends.

She walked to his room, noting the still full plate of food that the servant had in hand. She sighed at that, and then went in.

It was gloomy, more that gloomy it was like someone died. He didn’t even act like this when his dad died, or the first time she was taken by some jerk with a god complex. She tiptoed over, trying not to startle him. it seems to have worked, until she slipped on some clothes that were on the floor.

CRASH

“Uuuug….” That hurt.

She tried to get up off the floor but the stupid thing just kept making her slip. Finally, after a few moments, she got up. She looked at the bed only to see the same lump as before, nothing changed about it.

Oh Ra, he really is taking hard.

She decided to forego the snuck method and just plain walked over. The lump stood unmoving.

“Hey.”

The lump did nothing.

“Listen, I know how close you are to your mom. I mean, most people here are, but you can’t expect to find her if you just stay like this.”

There was silence for a few minutes before the lump spoke

“What’s the point?”

“What?”

“I said, what’s the point, We have no idea where she is or even if she’s alive and even then we don’t know what he will do to her she”, he shook his head out of the plie in the middle, “and she wouldn’t even be in this situation if I had been paying attention as oppose to fantasizing over people that would never return my feelings. How could I do something so ungrateful to her, after all that she has done for me.”

She thinks back on their times on the outskirts of Pharos, her just coming in after running away from the crowd lead by her own parents, being found by Master and Atem, having Miss Anthy treat her wounds, staying a few nights with Mai before insisting on living with Master, visiting often to help with the cooking (miss Anthy tries her best but she’s not the best in the kitchen) and just enjoying herself. She took a few moments before speaking again.

“Did she ever say anything about that? No, because she would want you to be happy. Were you lax in security? Maybe but no one expected for them to take Miss Anthy. Do we know where she is? No, but she’s certainly not under the bed. I can’t guarantee anything but sitting here all day is certainly not doing you any favors. Now are you ready to lead, or are you going to stay here while the rest of us fight this war?”

Slowey, very slowly, he gets out from the pile, his green eyes rimmed in red, with dark circles under his eyes.

“I... I want to find her. To tell her how much she means to me, to apologize for not protecting her when I could.”

He gets out of bed, unsteady and wobbly but he gets out.

“Right, let’s do this.”

He tied to stand, only to wobble back and forth, almost falling face first before leaning back and landing on the bed.

She stared, trying to keep it together, biting her lip to distract her from what she saw.

“Ow.”

Too late.

“BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHA, You just, hehe, poof, and then you, hahahaha, it ju- hehe it jus-,” she tried to say  **SOMETHING** over all the laughter but nothing came out.

Apparently it was a good something because now Atem was joining her, laughing hard at what had just happened.

Someone came it. she had too many tears in her eyes to see who, but whoever they are came into the room. She heard a squeak as someone joined Atem in the bed.

“It’s felt like years since you laughed like that,” said mystery person, who is Yugi, Yugi, who works her butt off to keep the higher ups from knowing about the king’s breakdown, Yugi, who’s been there since the beginning, Yugi, who made Atem his favorite food as oppose to whatever golden monstrosity that any of the brats that try to court Atem give him, Yugi, the person she’s personally betting for in their pool about who would end up with Atem. (Both she, Anzu, Afekia and Joey think he’ll end up with Yugi, Honda, Karim, and Seto are betting on Yami, Lord Bakura being a bitch and saying Yugi and Yami ride off into the sunset, and Mahado, Mai, Usagi, and Isis think it’s going to be a threesome. Seth and Ryou abstained, the former due to embarrassment and the fact it involves his cousin, the latter due to no caring.)

She brought him into her arms, their foreheads touching, as she held him close.

As she left the room to give those two some privacy, she has the feeling that things will be alright.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep, Akio is still a creeper here. And Anthy may love her brother, but she don’t wanna fuck with him like that.
> 
> Atem, why is it that all your male relatives wanna kill ya. I mean, there’s shitty luck and then there’s SHITTY LUCK.
> 
> BTW just a little tiddbit for Mana in this AU, she gay. She loves Atem like a brother but she gay.


	14. Confronting Spies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which traitors are found and conversations are had.

“Fucking hell, who is it?” Afekia muttered at the letters in front of him, biting his lip to make sure that he doesn’t rip them to pieces because even if they don’t have what he needs, that doesn’t mean that he still can’t use it in future blackmail.

It’s been two months since Anthy was snatched out of the castle and he still isn’t any closer to finding her OR catching the demented son of Apet and Zorc that took her to begin with.

He scanned the fucking damned documents that were shat out by Seth the wielder of storms himself, hoping by some miracle that Oulra would reveal who the hell it is he needs to kick in the ass.

“Hey, Kefie.”

“Hey, shrimp,” he greeted his ‘unwilling’ assistant Mokuba, the younger brother of the other semi-draconic knight, Seto, who he tolerates far better than that lucky son of a bitch who keeps mooning over Atem like he has a fucking chance in hell. The fact that he looks like a sickly, pale imitation of Seth is unnerving but hey, everyone has their flaws.

“What are you looking at?” he asked as he sat on the desk, far too relaxed for someone who got away with poisoning the palace and almost  **killing** Atem. (He swears that boy is too nice for his own good.)

“Looking over the reports from my sources to find out who got the King’s mother out of the Castle, for all the fucking  **_hell_ ** good that will do me,” he grumbled out as he tried to read find any hint of something. (He’s not allowed to tear out anyone’s throat before he actually has evidence. The last time he tried to go after that  **_fucking lush with an attitude_ ** , Mahado locked his room, seal the entrances with magic, and made him cleaning the stables as a punishment.)

Mokuba stared at him.

“What?”

“You know  **I** could have told you that,” the kids answered with a look that asked if he was the biggest idiot in the Palace. (No,  _ that  _ title belongs to Yami.)

What?

“I mean, it wasn’t like I just plopped in without a recommendation,” he continued casually, the smug little brat.

He looked at the paper in front of him, looked at the kid, looked back at the paper, and back at him.

**_“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me sooner!?!?!?!!?”_ **

“You didn’t ask,” the fucking brat said with a shrug and a grin.

He threw his head against the desk.

*****

It was late at night, well past the witching hour, when he felt shuffling from his bed and his little thief getting dressed to go out into the night. It wasn’t particularly unusual, he often did so to train the night guard and to keep his skills sharp. But for some reason, something in the air told him this was different.

Like something big was going to happen.

So, as soon as he heard the door close, he got himself out of bed. He used his magic to dress himself as he followed Afekia. He didn’t hide it; it would only make his little thief paranoid.

Afekia, to his credit, didn’t stop him, or try to change his path, or just jump out the window. He let him follow, perhaps wanting him to be there even.

There were a few moments of silence, him curious and wary while his thief was matching on the warpath, almost like he had found….

He turned, jumping out a window, but keeping it open so he could stay on his trail. He looked down to see two hooded figures, one of whom had the seal of Atlantis on his horse.

Afekia was dashing towards them, going straight for the hooded figure without a horse. He looked around, making sure he wasn’t seen, and then prepared his spells.

First, he drank some anti-nausea he had on him.

Then, he cast the teleportation spell, making sure that he would land on the one with the horse.

* **_Boof_ ** *

The neighing helped him focus as he fought off against the urge to vomit out all of his dinner out onto the spy he had landed on. The other, startled but the sight of him turned to run.

Only to be greeted by Afekia’s fist.

“I would have got him easily,” his thief grumbled.

“That wasn’t my concern. It was more that he stayed alive long enough to give us anything useful…. And to stop the other from leaving,” he replied, dusting himself off as he took the other spy and used his magic to teleport him to the nearest cell.

“Whatever,” he shot back, easily lifting the taller man in his arms.

“Do you need any help?” he asked

“No,” he said as he adjusted his hold on the man in his arms

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, I’m fucking sure,” his thief hissed back as he got a steady hold on him and moved to the Sun Palace.

They walked silently after that, him offering to help at least take some pressure off of him, which was thrown back at him with a hiss each time. Before long they were in the palace, with the door devoid of any guards. Whoever it was knew how to avoid attention at the very least.

They kept an eye out for unwanted company, with Mahado using a spell to find a room that is both unoccupied and sealable, the air lighting up as orb floats away.

After a few moments they were there, a room on the first floor that very few people use, and more importantly, had no place for the traitor to escape.

His thief brought out some rope, showing just how prepared he was for this meeting. He took one of the chairs there, plopped the hooded figure on there, and tied the body to the chair so well, he almost assumes that he’s trained for this (which he did, oh Ghau how he’s trained for this).

His lover smirked at the body in front of him. He, on the other hand, had questions.

“Why is his hood still on?”

Afekia glared back.

“Why the fuck do you care about that? We’ve got him, isn’t that enough?”

He shook his head at that. He then put his hand on the hood, ready to take it off.

It stung him.

He ignored it, and used his other hand to focus his energies to disable the spell on the hood, which was tricky, but nothing that he hadn’t dealt with before. In fact, there was a familiar aura in this spell, like it was someone they know.

The spell broke like glass, and with it, the hood fell down, revealing the face of Shadi, one of the priests held over from the reign of Atem’s father.

“THAT SLIMY MOTHERFUCK, I’LL FUCKING KILL HIM!!!!!” Afekia shouted, getting ready to finish the job he started.

“No. Not until we get what we need,” he said, putting a calming hand on his shoulder, complete with a bit of his magic flowing out so the feral little thing beside him is reminded of what he could do.

His thief glared back at him, but kept to his side. They waited after that, with Mahado getting some tea so he had something on hand to calm his nerves and keep him awake.

Soon it was dawn, but none of that showed in the dark room, where he only knew how long they were here due to the cock crowing outside.

This seems to have woken the priest up as he dazedly lifted his head to look at the room around him.

“Had a nice nap,” Afekia sneered out, hate dripping out of every hair on his body.

Shadi’s eyes widened, before they returned to their usual vacant look.

“So…. what exactly was the priest of… what’s the priest of again?”

“Obelisk.”

“Right,” his thief replied, right before hissing out the god’s name as if it was a curse in of itself. “Anyway, I find it quite interesting that I found you near there, the same spot where a rider for Atlantis was. Now tell me,” Afekia walked over to the captive before grabbing him and making the priest look him dead in the eye, “Why the fuck did you help those sea-monkeys with tuna for brain take  **_YOUR KING’S OWN MOTHER TO WHO FUCKING KNOWS WHERE_ ** ?” he hissed, ready drop him here and now.

He said nothing at that, offered no excuse, nor any denial. Just a glare at the man in front of him.

There was a tense silence for a few moments before Afekia walked away, getting some fruit that Mahado brought with him when he got the tea.

He sighed, before going up to Shadi.

“Now, I know we’re not exactly on the friendliest of terms, but the fact is, you betrayed your kingdom, you betrayed your king, you betrayed the  _ very god  _ you serve. Now, my question isn’t why, or how, or even when did you start. No, my question is what excuse did your  _ twisted little mind think up _ to justify helping the king’s enemy gain hold of the one who’s raised him since birth?” he hissed, bringing his energies to his hands , glaring at the man who has taken so much from him and his family.

The glare in those blank blue eyes increased, righteous anger pouring from his being until he hissed out his reply

“Because she is a traitor. She is a traitor who worked with the forces attacking us. She created the rings that strengthen their strongest warrior. She pointed out the weak points in our defenses. She could have very well killed the previous king for all we know. All I did was point out where she was,” Shadi exclaimed as he explained his actions, his conviction shaking his own core. He pulls away, and just like that, the puzzle pieces he didn’t know he was collecting came together to form a dark picture on the woman who had helped him so much since he dragged himself to the imposing capital for the chance of something better.

Afekia looked ready to stab him. In fact, he had just unsheathed his knife, ready to plunge it into him.

Mahado put his hand over the smaller, freezing his limbs in place.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for his mouth.

“Why the fuck did you do that, you ass? He deserves it. After all the bullshit he was saying, you would stop me from kicking his ass all the way into the river.”

“Because he’s not wrong.”

Afekia stared at him, baffled at the words he said, for a few minutes before he went back straight to anger. “How the fuck is he not wrong? He literally accused Anthy, our king _and_ **our** friend’s mom, of backstabbing the entire country? How could he even think that?”

He gave a deep breath before he said the words that could damage their relationship permanently, but he could not in due conscious leave it unsaid, “Because she knew how to deactivate the cursed collars so quickly. Because she did not look surprised at the transformed knights. Because the three ringbearer that we know of cannot harm or directly oppose the will of the king. Because she had the knowledge, reason, and determination to find a curse to deal with the old king. Because up until a few years ago, she held no love or loyalty to the crown. Because she was so quick to run, as if she had been planning to do so for years. And because the only reason she would even stay here is crying over her captivity, and will do whatever it takes to bring her back. And because of that last point, we will not kill the man who helped our enemy kidnap the queen mother, got it?”

The smaller’s glare grew darker before he remembered that last sentence. He gave a sinister smile.

“Sooo, tortures on the table, huh?”

“If needed.”

His thief walks away with a manic grin, hoping to get Isis’s brother in on this action.

“Afekia.”

“What?”

He looks away.

“We don’t tell Atem.”

“Of course, what do you take me for?”

*****

She stirred her tea as she took the pink-haired girl in front of her, her mouth moving endlessly as she took in just what in the hell happened.

The week after her capture, her brother created a little contest for his pawns, his Rose Guard, for the honor of defending his beloved sister, who has been held captive by the wicked king of Esmia. She was almost impressed by how easily they swallowed the story.

It was intense, each of them fighting as if there was far more at stake than being a glorified babysitter for their commander’s younger sister. Her nails bit into her skin as he emphasizes how helpless she was, as if she hadn’t survived on her own for well over two decades while caring for her son and her thief and any person who her charming boy had managed to befriend.

In the end the pink haired woman won. (Utena, she thinks her name is.) And has been trying to ‘get her out of her shell’ ever since.

She still shutters at the party incident.

But she tries.  Oh, gods, how she tries.

She’s generally good natured  more than most nobles in any case , so she hesitantly asks when she would go back to Esmia. And then her flower-headed guard said something that freezes her cold.

“Well… I guess when the king is dead. Or captured. At least, that’s what I heard.”

She pictures Atem  dead by her brother's hands or captured  as a new toy for the twisted pervert that they call a king, who hides his nature with sweet words that he perfumes himself with to hide in plain sight .

“Who, Miss Utena?”

She looked startled at that, before giving her a  sweet smile.

“Well… one of the kings up north, not like the Esmian king’s going to do anything,” she replied, careless of how those words hurt.  Not that she hadn’t say similar things in the past, but she had experience in those kind of cruelties.

“But what if there is a new ruler, one who doesn’t know what the old king has done.”

The girl’s blue eyes widened with shock before they regained their usual stupidity.

“Well then he’d still have to pay. You can’t just expect for such sins to not be repaid,” she dismissed without thought.

She then went back to her useless chatter.

In that moment something broke in her. Something twists at that, seeing someone so childish judge others as if she has any idea what she’s talking about.

And in that moment, she promised to destroy these ‘noble knights’ that kept her in her cage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now remember kiddies, torture doesn’t give you useful info. All it does is give the torture a power kick and mess with the victim’s mind. But these folks don’t know that, do they?
> 
> Anyways, I wanted to put some moral ambiguity in the ‘good’ kingdom here, with Afekia & Mahado not telling Atem the truth and the shit storm that Anthy finds herself in. No side is perfect, but at least they aren’t using kids in their shady stuff.


	15. Trickery and Dumb Luck

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which a captive is able to get away due to cunning and a healthy heaping of luck.
> 
> Warning: potential dub-con. more like seducing a willing, if repressed, person, but I'd rather be safe then sorry.

Oh Ra, what just hit her?

She got up from the uncomfortable cell (oh gods how long was she out for), looking at the dank and creepy place. At least the Sun Palaces cells didn’t smell like mold and mildew.

“I see you’ve awakened.”

She turned to see a woman in orange and white, with tight orange curls on her head and a sword in her hand, looking like one of those nuns from Chernaya Luna that had taken a vow of chastity and judged anyone who does otherwise.

“Do you know why you’re here?” up-tight said, looking down on her from her position on the floor.

“Hon, I’ve been in trouble before, you’re going to have to be specific,” she said as she got into a sitting position. She definitely didn’t feel well enough to stand up, but she wanted to at least stop laying on the cold stone.

She toughened her lips with judgment and… is that longing in her eyes?

“You are here because you have tempted our men with your lustful way,” she said with a harsh tone.

Ah, now it’s coming back. She was at one of the border towns, checking up on the girls there and maybe having a taste of the local cuisine herself. Apparently, the douches from across the border come there to get some fun in and they’ve been short charging the girls there. The local sheriff got scared about punishing them, because apparently they don’t have balls in this fucking town.

So, Mai did what she does best. Seduce the dumbasses and take their weapons to be sold, and the plans to the forces close by. (A mix of Argentée Lune and Esmian, with a particularly fierce commander from Früchtekorb, Kazuma, who was quite the snack, from what she saw).

Oh please, the only thing that was tempting them was their own dicks. She would have said that aloud but with that growing interest in her captor’s eyes, well…. That wouldn’t be very  _ nice _ of her.

“I’m sorry, but they were just so mean to my friends, making such  _ nice _ promises and not keeping them. I just wanted to help them out,” she said in the sultriest voice she could, doing a pout that had made more than a few men and women beg for forgiveness for whatever transgression they did.

And this girl seems to be worse than most, because she’s melting right in front of her just from that.

“Ah, um, NO! this is wrong! This isn’t good at all!” the woman in front of her raged, punching the bars as if that would take away what she’s feeling.

“Oh, but I was just helping out a friend?” she said innocently, pout still out as she pushed up her breasts. The rage was still there, but it was melting fast into lust and longing.

Oh, Ghau, this place really is that repressed. She remembers some of the tales from the merchants and priests, about Zeus’s romance with Ganymede while under the watchful eyes of Hera, the harem of girls that Artemis had, and how Apollo and Hyacinthus were so enthralled with each other that they failed to notice the north wind’s jealousy. It seems like the stories got pruned along the way, making such natural things into something to be despised. Heck even Früchtekorb and Chernaya Luna aren’t that back about it, keeping it as a private matter that their gods don’t outright support, but also don’t ban either.

If it wasn’t for the fact that she’s literally keeping her captive for no fucking good reason, she would take her home and give her a full week’s worth of lessons and pleasure for free… Well, half off at least.

“Oh my, are you alright?” she asked again to the shaking woman in front of her, keeping up with her sexy poses so much she swears that she’s going to need a massage after this.

She then brought up an arm towards her, going through the bars to touch her leg.

And when she saw her captors will crumble, she gives herself a smirk on the inside.

***

There was an art to manipulation.  _ Keys twinkle as she plays, hearing the steps behind her as she does her best to not look at the blue-haired boy behind her. _

An art to pulling the strings.  _ She holds the cheek that the child in front of her had slapped, feeling the pain but also feeling relieved that she’s being punished as the blond’s brother and other noblemen go to scold the stupid girl. Another wedge between her and her ‘beloved’ brother. _

An art to take a person’s weakness and using it to your advantage.  _ She goes up to the swordswoman, an orange rose in her hand. She moves herself to mimic the form of the woman in the locket, making herself appear as dainty and demure as possible. The hit was expected, and she savored the rage as she goes to battle, her fire clouding her mind as she goes forth. _

It is something her brother has had time to perfect, but she is the one who taught him how to do so. _ She parrots what he says back at her, when he won the chance to guard her from Utena, who was too innocent to know when she’s been manipulated. And she also follows Utena when she won that honor back. _

So, while he may have found their weaknesses and know how to play them from a position of authority,  **she** is the one who uses her position to break them as the  _ helpless maiden _ saved from the evil king. She uses their lusts, their insecurities, and their desires to act exactly how she wants them to. And she did it all under her brother’s thumb.

She sits in the garden with her personal knight, her unwitting captor, keeping her chained to this place through the illusion that she was protecting her. Not that the other has even half the brain power to even think that she was anything other than a victim saved from her captor. But what he doesn’t know is that this idiot of a girl was the perfect shield and informant, relaying all kinds of useful information without knowing its implications.

How Miki is attached to his image of the perfect sister from his childhood, far different from the rebellious youth she’s seen in the courts. How the perfectionist Juri longs for her childhood friend, who cruelly twists and stabs at her hated ‘friend’ with barbed words. How Nanami is so desperate for her brother’s affection, she mistakes that longing for love, the kind one has for a lover rather than a family member. How Touga yearns for power and will sleep with anyone he could to get it, how he plays a noble knight when it suits him and discards it when it does not. And Utena, dear,  _ stupid _ Utena… She was the easiest to read by far.

She is a stupid,  caring stubborn,  empathetic selfish idiot with a hero complex that never thinks about anything from anyone else’s perspective.  She tries, in her own dumb way, to make her feel wanted by bringing her friend over after the last disaster where she tried to get her to make friends.

She only sees what’s on the surface.  She sees the best in people, even in people like her .

She’s stupid.  She’s hot.

She’s the easiest to manipulate of all.  She feels things for this dumb, dumb woman that she’s never felt before.

She’ll go back to her baby.  She’ll leave the only person who made her feel such desire.

***

She breathes in deeply, trying to make the sweet thing beside her think she’s asleep, not wanting to take a chance of her figuring her out. It took a few more minutes than she would have liked, but eventually the knight behind her settled down and soon she was asleep. Mai parted her eyes and glanced over at the curly orange head behind her. She released a soft sigh, not wanting the other to wake up so soon.

She then slowly removed herself from the bed, moving the pillow into the other woman’s arms as she slipped out. She takes her clothes off from the floor and puts them on then went to the other’s armor. It is a beautiful thing, for someone who wishes to destroy all she holds dear and make her once again have to work from the shadows. And right on the table beside it was a shining stone of green. She could practically see herself with a smirk as she got an idea.

She wrote a quick note, saying how she enjoyed their time together and hoped that she finds someone who is worthy of her, and then she took the glowing green stone as payment for being captured.

She ran out as quickly and quietly as she could moving so she could return to town. She went to the stables to get a ride, looking at them all before finding the perfect one. The horse she took was a skittish thing, like it was owned by someone who doesn’t know how to treat a horse well. She was painted, with a brown heart on her chest. She loved it.

She calmed the sweet thing down, and then got the hell out of dodge.

****

It was at least half a day later when she returned only to see burning rubble where the local pleasure house was, along with everything else. The same shifty idiots that skimped on paying now leering at all the girls in the cages, like they were cattle.

She felt the rage of Sekhmet come through; the stone glowing fierce as she went over to show those assholes a lesson.

She went to the two closest, the ones looking at a little girl that was crying in tears, and crashed their heads together, banging their heads so hard that their heads exploded. That brought more assholes in which she beat back with the corpses of their dead companions. One of them stabbed her, but she felt nothing.

Instead, she grabbed one on the spears from the ground as she swung it around, taking down any man that was foolish enough to get near her.

As soon as it was clear she ripped the gate off the cages, where all of the women in there ran.

Good. They were not soldiers. They did not have to be here.

She looked back seeing more of them with the one out front having the same glowing stone she did. He was probably saying something but she was too pissed to notice.

In fact, when it looked like he was going to do some stupid laugh, the kind that only happened in theater for kids to show who the bad guy was, she threw the spear straight through his head.

He collapsed.

It wasn’t enough.

She moved again, taking another dropped weapon and hacking at anyone who got near her. So none came near.

She felt a presence behind her.

She spun around, swinging her weapon at the person behind them.

The warrior, a woman in chainmail with a chain weapon of some sort on her body ducked before moving away. These new fighters looked different, but for the life of her she can’t put her finger on it.

Words came out of one of their mouths, but she could not hear. No, all that she knows is that there are people who would hurt her, and she will do whatever it takes to protect herself.

She felt a presence behind her. She swung the weapon in her hand at them.

The fighter dodged effortlessly, before striking her hands with the dull side of the sword.

She lets go, surprised for a moment before noticing that they are still there. They can still hurt her.

She screams as she charges at the being, who dodged yet again and stabbed at something.

She fell.

and when she lands, she felt like something was taking away her very soul, sucking it out as painfully as possible.

Her last memory is that of the knight crying over her, a familiar voice she heard only the day before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whooooot, Badass Mai Moments! And don’t worry, Mai didn’t take Juri’s horse.
> 
> It was Shiori’s.


	16. Love During War-Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which feelings are revealed and kissing happens.

He stares up into the stone ceiling, just taking a moment to breath as he recovers from the stressful day, how after hours of working to figure out a way to get Mai (and the other green stone victims, but mostly Mai) out of their soulless state, it was a student who found the cure. A student who seems to have a knack at breaking the malignant emotions that make such curses so effective.

“Hey, are you still moping?”

He turned to the side to see Afekia, naked as the day he was born, much like himself. It seems only fitting that his lover, noticing how exhausted he was from all of his research and then having another find a way to help them return to normal, and assuring the student that in fact she did a good thing, and figuring out the battle plan and…

“Oy, stop it. Keep outside stuff outside,” he jabbed into his side, keeping his attention on the other body in the room.

He sighed.

“It’s far easier said than done. There’s just so much that needs to be done, and it doesn’t help when someone close to you is part of those that need help.”

Afekia scoffs.

“If that’s how you're going to act maybe you need to be the one to take a dick.”

He smiles at that. For all the harshness the half-feral imp gives to those under his command, he seems to really enjoy the feeling of having another man’s cock in him. Granted, he ‘s usually the one on top of him, controlling the pace of their… love-making? No, the word makes it out to be more gentle than it is, but fucking makes it seem like there is no emotions beyond the physical need to get off.

“… Listen for all its worth, I’m glad that Mai got unsoulified… resoulified, whatever, you know what I mean. I know that you like to take the world on your shoulders, but you’re not alone. There’s me, Kingie, the delegation squad, Mana and the other members of the spellcaster forces, the other armies from our alliance, those Xians guys, heck, even the dipshit draconic brat and the creepy cursed twins would be there to help you,” he then gave him a gentle hug, the ones he would threaten him from revealing to anyone else, “It’ll be O.K.”

He goes to return the embrace, trying as hard as he could to believe those words, but that shred of forbearing still nudged in his brain, that feeling that things are going to take a turn for the worst.

*****

It was night, a comforting time for her in these times. The sun looked down in judgment, demanding that mortals stay on a narrow path that few can hold, and it is so easy for those that could to fall into the pit of shame. The moon, on the other hand, is kind, never judging her on her sins and disgraces, what she has done and what is done on her. It even looks away for a time, giving her privacy that its counterpart never would.

She grew to hate the royal line of this twisted palace most of all, the king smug from his caught bait, using her to lure her son into ruin, his sister off in her own world as she paints a beautiful picture of the life she will live with him, neither knowing or caring about what he actually is, and the young princess, small yet sly, seeing through the wall that her brother built up for the soft core underneath, put her in the same stock as her brother (which was fair, she had aided him with more than a few of his plans) but failing to do so with her own father, who was just a bad if not worse.

She could feel the scorn of those in this place, as if she had much control in this place, where they all follow the tune of their domineering ruler and never even think about what is outside their lands…. Even the girl who had given the task at guarding her does so, if not follow it more blindly than most. She never notices when her brother holds her too tight, or when his hands linger on her longer than she likes. A true fool.

And still she finds herself enjoying those moments with her, the games, taking care of the garden that her brother gave her (it was roses, something she adored in her youth but like most things from that time, has been tainted by time), taking care of Chu-chu (another gift, but a far more appreciated one, if there was one thing she would take from this place, it was him), and just spending time together. She’s old enough to recognize why her heart races when she sees that pink-haired idiot, but she still curses it all the same. Especially since her _beloved_ brother has taken note of her interest in _dear_ _Miss_ Utena.

“Hey.”

She goes out of her musing to see the woman in her sleeping clothes, a new development that was devised to protect her from ‘enemy forces’. Please, more like the dumb gentry that believe that they can use her to punish Akio (she still feels a twist in her gut whenever she calls him by his new name) for ‘going above his station’. And all the hopeful knights that are just itching to impress the commander by ‘protecting’ his beloved sister who was held captive for years by the wicked king (the speed in which they spun their tales was something to be envied).

“Yes, Miss Utena?” she said, making sure her court smile is on.

“Are you alright?” Utena said, a question of concern spoken so softly, but which hit her with the force of a mountain.

What should she say? Could she say it? Would she be believed? Or would she be painted another ugly caricature for what she couldn’t control?

She took in those worried blue eyes, looking away from her face, her hands idling braiding her long pink hair and separating them again. She remembers the pain from the first betrayal, the one that had started this mess, and the twisting, nauseating feeling that she first got when she first learned she was with child and how her brother would look at her if he knew came back. And then she thought of the pain that happened at the mere thought of Utena not believing her.

And so she smiled, laid down on their bed, and said sweet lies to her, “Of course, Miss Utena, why wouldn’t I be?”

She hoped she’d push. She hoped that she would notice and point it out, to look beyond her words and really  _ look _ .

But Utena disappointed her once again and refused to go deeper.

“Oh, that’s good. I was worried for a moment there.”

She then got to her place besides her, held her close, closed her eyes, and started humming. It was such a small thing, a small simple tune that anyone could do, and yet it had melted the metallic forge that had coated her heart. And so, once again, she had found herself falling asleep, in the arms of her jailer in her pretty cage.

*****

It’s been three weeks since Mai was brought to the castle to recover (and be awake for it). Three long  _ boring _ weeks. Yes, it hurt when her soul was ripped out of her body but there was that ubermensch curse breaker who found a way of returning the soul sucked back into its proper body. She felt fine. Heck, the two dumb kids that used and were used by the stupid green thing and left soulless for months had managed to be up and stalking the sweet thing that had saved their creepy little butts.

She made sure to get the good mead when those twits had to deal with her  **_very_ ** protective friends. Unfortunately, the joy for seeing them getting their butts kicked only lasted for a few hours. When she noticed that there was a love triangle. Not like one of those ones where two guys fought to get the girl or whatever bullshit they’ve been putting in the plays these days. No, an actual love triangle. Where all three are in love with each other. And won’t say anything to each other. And can’t even read the Gahu-perfumed mood.

Just how stupid those three can be just make her want to-

She paused as she focused in on that thought.

Maybe she’ll get some entertainment after all.

*****

Mai had seen the three of them dancing around each other for far too long, each of them convincing themselves that somehow, they were not worth of the other two, so caught up in their stupid bullshit to see that there was a  _ very _ easy answer to all of this. So, the Friday after some meeting with the Argentean about something or other, she enacted her plan. She got the kingiee, maiden, and knight into a secluded room and locked the key. The key to one of the few magic-proof rooms that this place has. And no windows. As soon as she finished, she noticed the guard to the side.

“Ummm…”

“Do you see this door?”

He nodded.

“Do you see who’s in there?”

Another nod.

“Now I’m not saying you should leave, but I would suggest that you leave the trifecta of idiotic martyrdom until they work out their gods-damned feelings for each other,  _ got it _ ?” she said with a smile on her face, pouring every to convey what would happen if he didn’t do such.

He nodded again as Mai brought up a stool and sat down and waits.

*****

“Mai.”

_ knock knock knock _

“Mai.”

_ knock knock knock _

“Mai! You better open this door right now! I have an important meeting at noon!”

He sighs as he takes in the other two in the room, Yugi in a deep green dress with a blush on her face and Yami in a fetching white and tan outfit, his eyes averted from everyone else in the room. He felt his face heat up as he was in close contact with the two people that he adores most in the whole world with no way of getting out. Stupid anti-magic field. Stupid Mahado convincing him that he needs such rooms to keep people from spying. Stupid Mai’s locking him in here and not letting him just suppressing his affections like a normal person.

The tension is high in the room, as the three tricolored heads try their best to avoid looking at the others in the room. They went off to look for some way to distract themselves for the others in the room. It felt like hours as time drifts by, the silence palatable to even the most oblivious of people.

Finally, after what seems like forever, someone spoke.

“It’s my fault. If I hadn’t gone and confirmed to Anzu and the others we wouldn’t be trapped. I should have tried harder to deny it, should have tried to stop myself from feeling these things,” Yugi muttered, her eyes cast down as if she had done something wrong, a wet shine to her soulful violet eye.

“What are you talking about?” he asked, while Yami still doing his best to look away from the only woman in the room, the person who had helped him through all of the challenges that he had since he got that fucking crown on his head.

“I’M SAYING THAT I’M IN LOVE WITH THE BOTH OF YOU… but it really doesn’t matter. After all, why would you want someone like me when it’s obvious that you two would be far better for each other. I’m just some girl that had gotten lucky in being chosen for the crowning ceremony.” She says as she tries to dry her tears.

The hell… what twisted son of Zorc would convince Yugi that she’s not worthy. He opened his mouth, to comfort, to declare his own feelings, to say that she’s worth far more than she gives credit for but Yami beat him to the punch.

“Don’t you dare say anything like that. If anything, I’m the unworthy one. You are the one who holds this country together, while I was the idiot who got taken in by pretty words and didn’t listen to common sense. The kingdom of Esmia would be better for having such a thoughtful, clever queen such as yourself. There’s no place for a failed knight like myself in such a lovely story. I would be a distraction for the both of you,” grumbled Yami, his claws piercing the palms of his hands as he looks away.

His face felt hot as he heard the only who had stood by his side since this entire war happened degraded himself in such a way.

“Distraction? Whatever shit-stain of Zorc told you that deserves to be chased around by Sekhmet and Horus combined. And you,” he said, turning to Yugi “If it wasn’t for you and the others I would either be some puppet king for the family with the most influence or thrown in a tower due to all the mistakes I could have made. You were the one who told me who to trust and how to best appease the more temperamental assholes who call themselves lords. If anything, I’m not worthy of either of you. The only reason I’m even here is because that poor excuse of Horus’ line had gotten drunk and forced himself on mother, who could have easily gotten rid of me and be right in her decision.”

He sank to the floor. He felt the tears running down his eyes as he revealed those feelings that he had bottled up for years pour out.

“Maybe it would have been better if I had never be-“

His words were cut off and two sets of arms encircled him, with two faces coming in at him, giving a look to one another before they each went to their agreed target, with Yugi kissing his lips and Yami kissing his brow. It was a mere touch of lips, nowhere near as graphic as some of the kisses he had seen in the Sun palace, but it felt like the world had shifted in a new and wondrous way. After that it seems like the gates that they had put on their feelings opened and now there is a rush of emotions as they worked together to express what they had hidden.

The second kiss was from Yami, where he tried to press hard against the older man’s mouth, only to open it in a moan as Yugi snuck behind and deciding that sucking his neck was a good occupation. This seems to have embolden Yami who thrust his tongue in, not elegant in the slightest but with an abundance of passion. He let him for a few moments, just enjoying his attention before he wanted to join in and added his own tongue into the mix, the two of them fighting for dominance as his desire to explore, to taste the man in front of him increased. He grabbed the man in front of him, playing with the nub of a tail that he had on him, relishing the sigh that Yami gave as he won the battle and explored in earnest.

Yugi then got up and decided she wanted to be part of the action so she moved from her place behind him and went over to Yami, where she tapped him on the shoulder to get him to focus on her. He decided to play a bit by taking each of their hands and bringing them both to his mouth so he could suck on them, making sure to give each finger his loving attention. After that it all became a blur.

****

“Your majesty?” Mahado asked, knocking on the door that Mai locked him in, after chasing her around the palace trying to get back the key. Honestly, what is she thinking, throwing the king into a room as if there wasn’t a war going on.

He knocked again.

“Your Majesty, I’m going to unlock the room now,” he said as he got out the key that he had Mana take away from the half-crazed woman. Even though they had been friends for more than a decade, she always fell to the pleas of a young girl, even those she had known for years. He put the key in and turned, though not before hearing the shuffling of bodies as he opened it up.

What he saw was Atem, Yugi, and Yami with rumpled clothes and a flushed look on all three faces. All three had bite marks on their necks, with only Yami’s bite being distinguishable for the fang imprints, but if he had to guess, then all three were marked by each other.

“Ah yes, thank you Mahado. Well, we’ll be on our way.”

The other two tri-heads nodded as they all left the room, with Yami on the king’s right side and Yugi on the left. All three with a content air about them.

He smiled, glad for them, as well as him and Isis winning the bet that their circle of friends had concerning the three dumb kids. (He was a full five years older than the oldest of the trio, he has full rights on calling them kids.)

He walked the other way, excited to see the reactions of the rest of their circle of friends to this news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Awe… look at all this love. <3
> 
> Now what does that mean for the _rest_ of the story?


	17. Casualties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a wedding and a death.
> 
> Warning: death, implied dub-con

They had decided together that Atem and Yugi would be wed, since it would not only satisfy the public but also give the kingdom the queen it deserves, as oppose to the madwoman in the tower that currently held the title. Or at least, that’s how he heard it. He never even knew that the former king’s wife was even still alive.

It was a small affair, well, small for royalty, with only their friends, allies, and noted nobles coming to the celebration. And even with the limitations placed due to their current state, it was still so warm and bright.

The ceremony started at dawn where Atem, in an outfit of deep greens and navy blues, came in front of the priestess of marriage, the kindly Hathor instead of the jealous Hera of Atlantis, and the head priestess of Horakthy, the head of the gods in Esmia and supposedly the ancestor of the royal line. They were asking if his intentions were true, which they were. Oh, gods, how they were… The senior priestess then took a brush and ashes from their past lives, that is, a symbolic representation of their lives before they become one household. Atem’s was a pair of wooden dice he made as a child, while Yugi’s was the first puzzle that her grandfather ever gave her. He smiled at the fact that both of them chose games as their symbol… and that he would have chosen something similar if it wasn’t for the fact most of his games were more physical in nature. The objects burned in the flames, then doused in water as soon as both objects were more embers than anything usable, where the paste is then used to paint an eye on his forehead.

Yugi then entered, in a grand dress of green, grey, and gold, something that her own family made for her to wear on her wedding day. Besides her was her grandfather, a cheeky man who rarely came to court due to him having to work for a living and him not liking how most gentry act in general, who walked her up the aisle, tears coming from most of the guests, the uncrowned queen of Argentèe Lune wailing in tears of joy for the happy pair. There was a conspicuous place right near the front where Atem’s mother would be, a way for her to be there in spirit if not in name. He still felt guilty about that, even though neither he nor Seto knows why she was taken.

She then was asked the same questions by the priestesses, which then had an eye painted upon her own forehead, same as Atem’s but without the two lines coming out of it. The priestesses then had the two promise in front of their guests to honor, support, and treasure the other for all the days of their lives and to always be clear with the other. They then kissed and his heart felt a bit longing, but he can sate it with the knowledge that this was a night for them and that there would be another time for him to join them in their bedroom. They then were escorted to the bedroom for them to consummate their marriage, with some noblemen going as witnesses (an unavoidable point, but at least he had some say in who came), and the guest went to disperse through the rest of the castle as the hall was set up for the feast afterwards.

“I’m surprised you’re not jealous.”

“Hm?” He turned from the game in front of him to see the right-hand man of the black king, a man who always has a smile on his face no matter what, like a mask.

“Well, it’s just that from what I heard, you were quite taken with the king and the common maiden. I would have at least expected something from you, but you stayed so calm during the entire thing,” the older man said, a simple smile on his face.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Honda, the man he owned his life to and someone he was honored with calling a friend, “First off, Yugi’s title is ‘the Maiden of the People’, not the common maiden. And second of all, just because they’re married doesn’t mean that he still doesn’t have a chance. I mean, half of the court is bonking someone that isn’t their spouse.”

“Yes, but that’s usually limited to members of the same sex. So, unless Yugi has an interest in watching, I think half of his fantasies are gone in the wind.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t say that,” came the calming tones of Isis, Atem’s cousin by marriage and someone (to his knowledge) involved in a relationship somewhat like his own, “There are many ways for such things to work as long as all parties are honest. Something I feel that you have trouble doing.”

She finished with a smug grin on her face, taking a cup to sip, “By the way, your king is calling for you.”

The nobleman gave Isis a short glare, before whining and meandering away.

“Thanks,” he said, glad to not reveal their budding relationship so soon.

“Of course. I was actually looking for you, and I would like to give you something. Alone.”

She then left. He stared at Honda for a few moments before following her, keeping an eye over his shoulder to make sure that no one was following.

Finally, they were in a safe room.

“So, what is it that you wish to give me?” he said, nervous in front of the Duchess of Kemet.

She turned towards him and gave him a sympathetic look.

“As I’m sure you know, there is a bit of danger in what you are doing. If people knew the full extent of your relationship with the king and his wife, you will be judged harshly, even if all three of you love each other and hold no malice towards the other,” she stated calmly.

He nodded, wondering why she would tell him this.

“High among those concerns are the royal line, and more importantly the act of furthering said line.”

He blushed at that, still pure in body if not of mind.

“I-is there a point in all this?” he asked, wanting to leave from this conversation.

She sighed, before bringing out the object from the desk drawer. He looked it over a few times, trying to figure out what the heck it is.

“The point is while you could never penetrate the king’s wife, there is nothing from her penetrating you. And this device will help her in doing so.”

He almost dropped the object, both embarrassed and shocked at such a thing.

She smirks at that, as if it was something she saw in a play before but enjoyed all the same. She then brought out a scroll.

“And don’t worry, there are instructions in both the library and this scroll. I wish you luck and joy for the future,” she said before leaving.

He opened the scroll only to see a lewd image. A lewd image that he wouldn’t mind doing anytime soon.

*****

It was a warm, sunny morning in the Jewel of the Sea, the kind of morning that just makes one feel lazy. Dartz was sipping some tea that he had imported through the latest shipping from Xian. It took months for this batch to come over, but, as he takes another sip, it was well worth the wait. He was a bit weary when he saw some Xians in during the last battle, but he was assured that they had chosen of their own will to join their enemy and it does not reflect Xianen’s concerns in the slightest. He looks forward to gaining a stronger foothold on all the goods imported from the distance east, to have everyone looking to appease him and not some child that’s barely older than his daughter.

“Oh, my liege, won’t you come back to bed?”

He gave a glance to the youthful thing on his bed, Touga of the Red Rose, a beautiful young thing who tries so hard to be coy, but more than makes up for it with his talented tongue. He really would have to thank the man’s father for training him so well. He was a bit put off that Akio wasn’t there as he decided that his sister and his new toy would be more entertaining at the moment.

He leans back in his chair, his mind going back to the Esmian king. he hadn’t gotten that close of a look at the man he was going to crush, but from what he gathered, he was a striking man who had left many hearts broken when he wed. Well, if he's anything like his uncle, he would be a fine playmate for the night, especially if he has those fetching emerald eyes. He almost wished he had the time to play out that fantasy he had for when he catches the younger king, but then he would be reminded that he had no way of luring him in, aside from his mother. What to do, what to do?

Touga had come from behind to drape his arms onto his king, loose enough that he could escape from them but with enough presence to show he could easily tighten his grip if needed. And how easy would it be for the ambitious thing to just snap his neck.

Suddenly he got an idea. An awful, wicked idea that will surely bring the younger sovereign under his control.

“Touga, would you be a dear, and service me?” he said as he opened his robes. The boy tensed, still uncomfortable with taking care of him  _ that _ way, but eventually his desire for power won over his dislike of the task. And so, his morning continues quite splendidly, with the proud knight kneeling in front of him, servicing him as a reward for his cunning plan.

*****

They were now on the battlefield, a different location than the one that had started this shitty war but much the same in all other respects.

He swung his blade every which way, striking either skin or armor, but driving away the assholes that surged around him all the same. And any unlucky bastard who tries to get him from behind gets either a head butt courtesy of yours truly, or gets cut down by Honda and his trusty spear. Atem was some leagues away, hitting the assholes on his trail from a distance with his spells and illusions, with Yami taking out anyone who gets in for close combat.

He knows that Queen Serenity the second hitting anyone who goes near the medical tent with her mace (seriously, she’s scary good with that thing), Mako with her ax, and Minako her custom whip with metal spikes along its length (different from the whip that she uses for the bedroom, which stings in a good way according to Anzu, which frankly he never wanted to know).

The medical tent has the docs taking care of anyone who couldn’t fight, and he trusts those docs but he’d rather be out here than in there, with all the blood and sawin’ and all that.

There were several people farther away shooting arrows, which include the Black King, Lady Hino, and her cousin among the archers.

Everything was so fast and chaotic; he worries about who he would find in the tent.

He slashes and stabs and still they keep coming.

Then there was a whistle and then the last leg of the fellowship of the dickheads left. Leaving them to clean up the battlefield.

Great….

He sheathed his sword and looked at the bodies that littered the ground. At all the people he’s killed and all the people he’s known that are dead bodies on the ground.

He goes to the body closest to him, an Atlantean that looks closer to his sister’s age than his own, and starts dragging the body to their pile while he saw other soldiers move their own bodies to their own pile, a bit of respect for the dead where they make sure that they bury their own dead. All the soldiers did it, from the grunts to kings (or at least their king, he never sees the queen or black king do such things). It’s a rare moment where everyone is equal and bloodlines don’t matter, ‘cause death doesn’t care about your titles.

The moments were peaceful, but a sad kind of peaceful, where you know there will be wailing afterwards but that doesn’t change the fact that it needs to be done.

He kept at his task, making sure that no body he moved lost anything else while he moved them.

It was nice, in a twisted sort of way. That they treat the dead with more respect than the living.

And then he heard wailing in the distance, disturbing the peace that was there.

*****

The battle was ferocious, each side giving a devastating blow to the other, which was returned twice over with a vengeance. He stuck to the edges, keeping a clear path for the wounded to be transported out of the field, shooting blasts at any enemy soldiers that had gotten in for an attack from behind.

He shot at a man with an axe trying to take a hit at Atem. Yami came from his side to bring him down.

He felt so drained from everything, trying to do everything at once. Even though they were the last army standing in their alliance, all it seems to do is increase their own ferocity.

He shot again, saving Mana while she got one of her injured subordinates out of the field, the girl clutching her side as the white cloth was stained red.

He can’t wait for this battle to be over, sit in his tents and read a good book with a cup of tea in hand.

He blasts someone who was near one of the volunteers from Xian, who took the opportunity to strike him down with several blows to the chest with nothing but their bare fists.

Or go over plans with Atem and the others, Afekia trying to give him a handjob under the table, seeing it as a game where they see how long it takes people to know what he’s doing. He still remembers the blush from last time someone caught on what he was doing. He still has a hard time looking Lady Mizuno in the eyes.

He blasts another person, the soldier barely moving out of the way before their larger opponent fell to the ground.

It feels like forever, all these waves of people coming in. It’s almost lik-

Suddenly, there was a blade stuck through his chest. He felt it sliding out so he tried to hold on to the blade, hoping against hope that he could stay alive long enough to do  _ something _ . But some part of his mind was certain that this was his last as he felt failing as the blade slid out, his fading mind seeing his student looking in horror at his dying form. He tried to give Mana one last smile before all strength left him as he was no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *evil smirk* Now how about that…
> 
> *rotten fruit is thrown my way*
> 
> Hey, hey, hey, this is war! You can’t go in expecting things to go ALL good for our heroes. And logically, Mahado was the most valuable person for Dartz to kill. He reasoning goes as follows A) he’s a powerful mage, B) he’s a good strategist, C) he’s high up in command and would lower morale, and D) his death would HURT Atem.
> 
> Also, the ass that was talking to Yami was Shigure, who has a love of making trouble and getting his way. And yes, he did say Yugi’s name wrong on purpose. He be a troll, ya’ll.


	18. Mourning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where our heros morn the loss of a good man.
> 
> Warning: death, implied dub-con/non-con. Also implied incest, because Utena.

The roar of two dragons scared away the Atlantean forces, giving them a reprise from the assault. He joins Yami in looking over the bodies, taking in the lives that had given themselves in this war. He uses his magic to separate the bodies, putting the bodies into two piles, one for their side, and another for their enemies, an unspoken rule of war, giving the other side the dignity to bury their own dead.

He sorted mindlessly, trying to focus on the next battle when he hears a wail from Mana. He throws the body back down. He ran over to her, ready to see another stone victim when she sees the body she finds.

Mahado. A wound to his chest, his eyes wide as he looks on for evermore. There… there was always a chance. A possibility that it would happen. But somehow it didn’t seem real, more like a distant thing that was never in the cards. But there it was.

Mahado.

Dead.

He fell to his knees.

“What the hell are yo-“ Afekia started before seeing the body before them. He was not a man known to be calm at the best of times. It was not the best of times.

He joined Mana in wailing. But while she was holding onto the corpse, hoping that somehow this was all a cruel prank, he was down on all fours hitting the ground again and again, as if somehow the judge of the dead would let his soul out if he pounded hard enough.

He, on the other hand, seems to have forgotten how to move.

He was just staring. Taking in the form of the man who had been a teacher, a brother, a fun uncle when Afekia was too much.

He felt hands on his shoulders, and somehow, whatever spirit that was around put his hand on those hands.

“Do you need help getting up?” came the comforting words of Yami.

He nodded.

He is sure at some other time he would have been embarrassed at being lifted off of the ground by his shorter lover, but right now he didn’t care.

Others came after that, the DMG squad gathered around their leader supporting Mana as they cried in each other’s arms. Honda and Joey drag off Afekia, while medics are on standby. He spotted out of the corner of his eyes someone from Xian tried to come over but they stopped themselves, as if they could not do any better than Yami at this moment.

All three of them were gathered into a tent, with food placed before them.

And of course, Afekia decided to throw the bowl across the makeshift table, staining the tarp.

“The fuck is this? Mahado just dies and you put this shit in front of us? As if the best man I even known isn’t dead.”

Yami sighed beside him. He walked over to Afekia; the silence so prevalent that he could hear the clanking of metal on his person.

“I can understand what you are going throu-“

“LIKE HELL YOU DO, YOU SPOILED BRAT!” Afekia yelled, his hands grabbing at Yami’s shoulders, ready to punch him in the face.

He knows he should try to stop them, but for some reason he couldn’t find it within himself to care.

“Listen. You don’t like me. I, frankly, don’t care much for you either. But, from all the time I had been around Mahado, he would not want any of his friends to join him in the afterlife so soon. So live, for Mahado’s sake if no one else,” Yami replied, a calm over his words.

Mana got up. But unlike Afekia, there’s a different energy. A cold determination as opposed to the rage that the former thief king has.

“I have to go,” she announced, bringing her bowl out with her.

Afekia glared at Yami for a while longer before leaving, his hands shaking as he left.

The knight sighed before turning back to him.

He hasn’t moved from his position from the table.

He sighed again and came to his side, giving a kiss to his forehead.

“That goes for you too, Atem,” Yami told him as he cups his face.

He kisses Yami. It wasn’t a loving kiss. It was a desperate kiss, a kiss to forget, a kiss made in the hope that it would drown the memory of Mahado’s dead body, would let him forget for just a moment that an entire country’s fate is on his shoulders.

Yami lets him. Just takes in all that pain and does his best to sooth his lover’s soul. He leads them into another room, ready to keep his mind off the mangled body of Mahado for the rest of the night if he had to.

*****

She saw quietly as she and Utena had their tea, talking about nothing at all as they enjoyed the beauty of the garden. She focused her attention on the bob in the girl’s throat as she drank it in.

How she sees the world as some simple story, where good and evil are easy to see at merely a glance. It was a naïve outlook, something she, her brother, and even her son, for all she did to protect him, never got growing up. She supposes the closest she’s ever seen was the Crown Princess of Argentèe Lune, and even then, the Princess was able to hold some guard around her when that prince from Chernaya Luna showed interest in her, an understanding that there are some who had ill intent. Utena, on the other hand, still believes in the goodness of her king, and that a man with court etiquette and a title was morally better than a man on the street, the idea that the powerful perpetuate to justify their position as if it wasn’t a trick of fate that gave them such a life.

She wonders if that has anything with the fact that Akio has been taking an interest in her. Kissing her. Sleeping with her. Using her to make some point in the twisted game Anthy’s found herself in. Like Utena is a doll that Akio can give her and take away with such ease.

She hates her.

Hates her stupidity and how it reminds her of how her brother was before this, before the incident that left her bearing her rapist son and him on the run for having sex with the queen. And in some queer way, she also adores that about her. It was quite curious how the two feelings act in tandem with another. Like a reflection on what she felt for Atem when she first held him in her arms. The living proof that  _ that night _ happened and fate had been cruel enough to give  **_that man_ ** a son from that encounter. Before she loved him as the sweet, playful child he was, as the kind and just king he is.

She’s had dreams when things were better, would-have-been’s where her and her brother just lived in the cottage alone, where it was Utena who rescued her from the castle and they raised Atem alone with each other as company, where she killed that man sooner and stopped her brother from this war with his own flesh and blood.

“Hey Anthy.”

She smiled, the court smile she perfected over the years, “Yes, Miss Utena?”

“Ah, gezz, you don’t have to-“

“Get over here!”

She glanced to her right, seeing the blond who has been her favorite little toy during her time here with a scowl on her face. What’s she worked up about now?

“I said get over here!” she shouted again, as if she had any power to begin with. Every screech, every insult, even her hits were only allowed because  _ she _ permitted it.

“Hey, leave Anthy alone! She’s not the reason your brother is a dramatic jerk!” Utena yells back, in that noble way that both warms her heart and twists her gut.

“This has nothing to do with you, Tenjo. I’m talking to  **_her_ ** .”

Ah, what is she being blamed for today? What she will say is her grievance and what is her  _ actual _ problem.

“It’s alright, it will just be a minute, Miss Utena.”

She got up, making sure to move slowly as she followed the raging child. She really is an amusing thing, so cruel and innocent, an almost mirror image of herself in her devotion towards her brother, just them against the world. The only reason she even went out then was to make sure that her brother and her would be taken care of, to not worry about their next meal, to be better than what life had given them. Not knowing how that decision would twist them into the people they are today.

“Spill it,” the child said, final stopping.

“Hm?”

“I saw the king. He has your eyes, your face, for Zeus sake, his hair is even edged in the same stupid purple as your hair. So what are you and your disgusting brother planning?” she says in barely restrained anger.

Ah, she thought she heard something last night. It seems like she’s disgusted by what happened.

Good. At least one of them could avoid  **_that_ ** .

“And what do you think we’re planning?”

She looked away, flustered, not sure about what to say, but glaring at her with all the hate that she could muster up in her body.

“… Yes, you can’t think of one. After all, if all _three_ of us were on the same page, _Akio_ wouldn’t be stabbing himself in the foot by taking the king’s mother, motivating him to work harder. He would have married his beloved _princess_ and poisoned the king, instead of going off trying to have him killed each battle. Instead he’s keeping me holed up while he goes of on his delusions quest to ‘save’ me from being with my _own_ _son_. Meanwhile, his sugar daddy is trying to see if he could have a haram with him, my _son_ , your brother and any other fool tha-”

The brat slaps her. Not unexpected for her.

“How dare you suggest that my brother would do something so immoral,” she hissed out.

Oh gods, that’s hilarious. She gave a cackle at such stupidity.

“Oh please, we both know your brother is a whore for most of the girls in the courts to fawn over, and you certainly can’t say that he earned his position as the second in command through skill. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a bastard or two around, at the very  _ least _ .”

She was shaking in rage, knowing the truth in those words but not wanting to believe it.

“Well, at least the stupid head mage’s gone,” the brat muttered, mostly to herself, but she heard it. Yes she did.

Her eyes widen, taking in the news of Mahado’s passing. She was not close to him, not like Atem or Afekia or Mana or even Ryou. She was fond of him, but he seems like the type to know too much, who could see through her if he was given the right motivation. But she also knew that it would devastate her baby, her little thief that helped her by stealing odd trinkets, objects that would never be missed by  **_that_ ** man, to use in her curses. He helped Atem and Mana perfect their magic and became a guardian for the youngsters while she worked throughout the day, taking care of her animals and all the other odd jobs she had to do to keep food on the table.

“And how did you hear such information?” she asked, focusing all her energy into smiling so she wouldn’t stab her.

“Hear it? I was there when the king killed him. He went behind the mage and thrust his sword straight through his chest. There was a dragon attack after that, but that would no doubt stop any plans you had,” the blond brat proclaimed, smugness on her words as if that takes away the fact that somehow makes it moral.

“ **OH** really, and what makes you think you’re so safe?” she sharply said.

“Oh please, we’ll be safe as long as the rose guard is there,” she said, back on her bullshit.

“And how do you think your dear commander got those rings?”

The blond looked startled at that, as if she never considered the source of the rings.

“Now you see… those rings only follow those of a certain bloodline. Not the king’s, no, that’s just what  **he** believes, but another’s,” She paused, letting it sink in, “And who is it that helped form your  _ precious _ Rose Guard? Who is it that houses the dragon’s now? Who is right in front of you, keeping you to that very spot?”

The blond shook her head at that, learning her fate was willingly given to another.

“SHUT UP!” she said as she got ready for another slap. But she was ready. And she looked down on the girl as she screamed, as her hand was transformed, scales covered her hand as claws grew where fingernails were.

She looked down devastated as she took it in, at how thoroughly she was controlled by her. She kneels to her level, wanting her to hear this loud and clear.

“And do you know what’s worse? That your king knows. He knows and doesn’t care as long as he could have the slightest chance of gaining another scrap of land, another bit of power, another subject to feel the lies that even he himself doesn’t believe. Now, if we’re done here, I need to return to my previous engagement. Have a nice day,” she said with a smile on her face, satisfied at the state of the Yellow Rose in front of her.

She walks back to Miss Utena, a smile on her face.

*****

They had trudged out of the tent the next day, still aching over the death of someone so close to them, but now they are able to at least function if nothing else. Well… some of them.

“I’M GOING TO TEAR HIS FUCKING HEAD OFF!!!!!”

He turned his head to see the raging spy master, rings under his eyes still in front of the corpse of Mahado…. Actually, it looks better than yesterday, a fresh set of clothes, white of course, his eyes closed, his arms positioned so that they are crossed over as opposed to the mangled state they were in when his body was found.

“First we have to find Miss Anthy, then you can do whatever you want with him,” Yami said wearily, still drained from yesterday.

“First off, fuck you. Second off, we can find her easier when the bastard’s dead and buried. Who knows, maybe with that green-haired asshole dead and Ammit’s chew toy, his kid will give her up just to be on our good side,” Afekia said dismissively.

“Or she could kill you as an act of vengeance. Honestly what are you thinking?” Yami shot back, done with the white-haired menace, “And his hair is blue, it just looks green by candlelight.”

“Like I give a fuck.”

“You should, you stubborn, savage, brainless-“

“I have a plan.”

The two men turned away from their fight to look at Mana, who had entered while he and the spy master were shouting at each other. Her eyes were red, with dark rings underneath, with a quiet ferocity look in her eyes, giving a glint of light to her grass-green eyes that had dulled at the sight of her dead master’s body.

“What?” both of them said at the same time. Atem was still nodding off in his chair, still tired from last night.

“I have a plan. Honda and I had been talking, and we developed a plan that would deal with the king, take out those damned green stones they keep making, and find out where they took Miss Anthy,” she said, conviction in every word she spoke.

“And what is this plan?” Atem asked, brought back to the waking world with Mana’s words.

“We attack the Palace of the Sea.”

“What!?!? How could you even find it, more or less attack it with our forces?” Yami shouted.

“Hey, in case you forgot, I followed your dumbass all the way to the capital. And with the help of dragons it’ll be much faster,” Honda jumped in, surprising him. How many people are in the tent?

Mana nodded at that, “Right, we could launch a surprise attack, cut down the man that started this entire thing, find his secrets, and demoralize their forces all in one go. We’ll work on the details with the other generals and dragon.”

Atem nodded his head at that.

“Right, we’ll implement it as soon as we have everyone here,” he replied, getting up from his seat to leave along with others. The only ones left here were him, Atem, Mana, and the spy master.

“Wait!” she shouted, blocking the tent opening, “I have a special plan for you.”

They looked at each other before nodding, hearing just what the young Mage was planning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Atem:*to Yami* Don’t worry about Afey. He wouldn’t hurt you.
> 
> Afekia:*shouting from across the castle* Yes I would.
> 
> Now what are these crazy kids planning? You’ll have to find out next chapter.


	19. Final Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which the final battle of the war is fought.
> 
> Warning: death, implied human sacrifice

This is it. The final battle. The one that would determine the fate of their two nations. Argentèe Lune had bowed out when they and the rest of their forces brought Terra to a standstill, enough so that the Terran forces decided to retreat after their king had perished (who died from a disease, oddly enough) and Früchtekorb had managed to defeat the forces from Sonsuz Rüya with ease thanks to their combined might, but Atlantis still held strong even though her allies were defeated and had left them the sole force in what was once a dangerous alliance.

Seto looked on at the fortress before them, the place that Mana and the spy had chosen to finish this war. He was on Kisara’s back, something he would not do in normal circumstances but they had agreed to do to give them the element of surprise in their assault. He looked to the side to see the other dragons and their riders, placed in saddles and carriages that were outfitted to protect the troops from the one that had spikes on their backs. The Esmian King was on Timaeus with a few of his close allies, including the spy master and Yami. He was glad that they were together, since this has the strong possibility of at least  **some** of their forces dying today. He looked to the other side to see Joey on Saionji’s back, a perfect combination of sheer stupidity for the pair of them. If he was lucky, one of them would perish.

The sun was peeking out for the day, the signal for them to land. It took only a few moments but it was worth it for the shock and fear of the guards’ face as he came down on her back.

He shimmed down the dragon as the guards went off to tell their commanders, though not before having Kisara letting out a burst of electricity at their feet to knock a few of them out. The ones that were left ran as fast as they could. He brought out his blade, ready to take out as many as he can, for revenge on a nation that had taken so much from him and his family.

****

The Atlantean forces came full swing thanks to the fact that their group was so showy. Kyouchi though it was stupid that HE was part of the distraction group. He glared at the blond next to him, the one who kept coming to talk to him even at his worst. He was a comforting presence he supposes, if an annoying one, with his stupid smile and the fact he took his insults with a smile, but was also willing to throw a jab back to show he was not afraid of him. In a way that was comforting, to know that there were people who treat him the same even if he was a horrid, scaly monster.

He moved out of the way, not wanting to have his own hide be on the line here. He heard a shout and a familiar scream. A scream that he heard in his nightmares as his body changed into this terrifying mess that he calls a body. He stealthily moved towards that sound, something he had practice with at that castle in those times when he wanted to be alone, on alert for anyone near him. It was a quick walk, but noticeable due to the fact that it was where the ‘main party’ was going to enter the Jewel of the Sea. It was another knight of the green rose, the same color as his own, with a young boy screaming in pain as more draconic features came over him. He thinks that is Noah Kaiba, the step-brother of the lucky brat that managed to get away with only a  **few** dragon bits from their attempt on the bastard king’s life.

And then he saw him. Touga. His rival. His friend. The man he was always chasing, hoping that someday, he could catch the other’s attention, have hsi focus only on him, like when they were children playing in the fields.

Touga, who walks over to the shifting boy, and with it, the group moving towards the castle, with a sword in his hands. It made him feel good, that he would go out of his way to defend the castle. Before he walked closer, where it turns out his real objective was the transforming child on the ground. The boy, still withering in pain on the ground looked up at Touga, only for him to get a sword in the neck for his troubles.

The group managed to get in undisturbed, leaving while Touga continued stabbing at the boy on the ground, not even stopping when the boy stopped screaming.

Touga turned away and his heart chilled at the sight of his satisfied grin at the destruction he caused, at the death and the revelation that it was once human.

He stomped as fast as he could away from the sight, his heart racing at the thought that  **he** would be next, that Touga would cut through him as easily as he had the boy. He ran back to Joey and the battle he was in. He easily swatted the soldiers away, just wanting to be near the blond that he found himself enamored by, with his kind nature, his fiery temper, his jovial nature and how easily he could defend himself from others.

“Hey, da fuck is da…” the blond started before he stopped, seeing something in his eye because his own features softened, “Hey, hey, hey, shhhhh, what the heck managed ta scare ya like dat.”

He looks away, unused to the comfort he was offering, the only ones who had offered him such comfort was his nursemaid, Kumiko, and the sword-masters that he was taught by.

he just soaked up all the caring that this strange man is giving him, even in the middle on a battlefield.

There was silence for a while. None of the enemy guards wished to come close and deal with the dragon in the area.

“… So… Ya wanna talk about it er somethin’…”

He shook his head, not wanting to deal with the image, with the knowledge that Touga would be willing to kill him if he ever came close, that he would do so….

Joey sighed beside him.

“Ya know, things would’ave been easier if ya could like…poof ya sized whenever ya want.”

That kind of defeats the purpose of a curse, but whatever.

“Yeah, ya just go all human fer a bit, walk in, get some info ‘nd supplies, and poof, big old dragon flies out ‘nd.”

Despite himself, he chuckles, or at least as much as a 4-ton dragon can chuckle.

“Yeah, I would’ve said somethin’ sooner but Kaiba was dere ‘nd ya know how that jack-ass is.”

Yes, the arrogant knight was hard to get along with. It surprised him how close he was with Yami and the young queen, let alone how great he is with his own brother. he…

“ _ my sister and I were never close when we were younger. She always seems so much better, so much more competent. Sometime, I think that father only took me because he hoped that I could end up just as good as her.” _

“Wait… ya parents split up too?”

He turned his head to the blond, surprised that he talks about such things so casually.

“Shesh, I’d always thought that rich assholes just stay tagethe ‘nd just stay at differen’ castles.”

“ _ Manors _ .”

“Whaever.”

They stood in silence after that, but there was something comforting about it, like just being near him.

“Ya know, I wonder what ya were like when ya was normal. Ya know, before da scales and shit.”

“ _ … A self-centered ass, if you go by Seto’s word.” _

“Fuck Seto, I’m askin’ ya.”

_ “… I don’t know, but I don’t think I would have followed this path if I knew what would happen.” _

“Ya don’t deserve dis.”

_ “… you don’t know that.” _

“Ya, yer an ass, but dat doesn’t mean ya deserve this.”

He puts his arms around his misshapen form, attempting a hug despite the size difference.

“I, I wish ya was able ta at least give a hug, if nothin’ else.”

He almost said something, but then a warmth spread around his body, accommodated by a soft glow that grew with the warmth.

Suddenly things seemed bigger, he felt the wind against his body, and he felt cold. Very cold.

“Da fuck just happened!” Joey shouted at him, looking him in the eye. The eye?

He looked down to find he was human. Well… humanish. He still felt the wings on his back, claws, the tail at his back and he was sure that if he felt his forehead, he would find horns.

But he had two feet on the ground, two hands to hold, and a normal tongue… maybe.

But there was nothing different. Nothing except…

He turned to Joey, who was flustered and looking everywhere except his lower body.

He took his chance and wrapped his arms around the brilliant, blond idiot that saved him.

“Da fuck, get offo me, ya ass,” he shouted, but there was warmth and light and he honestly didn’t want to do anything more than keep him here in his arms.

“What are you two idiots- OH DEAR ZEUS, PUT SOME GOD DAMN PANTS ON!!!”

*****

He looks down from his tower. At the dragons and other forces coming towards them.

Fools. Attacking right at the heart of  _ his _ kingdom.

He goes to get ready.

“Where are you going?”

He turned to see Akio, nude on his bed, bite marks on his body.

“Out. Apparently, the boy king brought his toy army here.”

His green eye widens before he gets out of bed, throwing clothes on in a hurry. Probably to find his sister.

He turns away to get to the armory. If this is how that child wants to handle things then so be it.

*****

He is outside of the castle, in front of the Esmian King.

“How dare you attack the Jewel of the Sea with your forces, bringing innocent people into our fights,” he yells making sure that if this is his last, he would at least be seen as a moral in the eyes of the court.

The other king is silent.

“What, can’t even say anything to defend yourself? Or do you hope to rape this land much as you have your own?”

No word came out.

“So be it.”

He locked eyes with the other king, the youth’s eyes burning with hatred as he rushed him for the first strike. The brat struck again and again at his armor, faultily trying to get at a weak point in his armor.

Dartz felt a wicked grin form on his face as he knocked down the foolish boy, the brat that through a twist of fate had managed to become a king to one of the most well-connected lands he has ever known, a land that would be the start of Dartz’s path of conquest.

He goes in for a killing blow, only for his very being to be brought down by a shot to his family jewels. He looked up at the other, only for the eyes to morph, changing from a familiar shade of green to a greyish-violet color. A color he had yet to see.

His shocked state had made it easy for the spymaster to cut his head clear off his body.

And then he was no more.

****

They moved swiftly through the halls, Mana holding her staff on the ready and him in the leather armor that the spy master usually wears. The plan was simple, Afekia went to face Dartz in Atem’s armor, giving the illusion that the king is the one who would kill the man-monster while Atem went off to find his mother on his own. And then there’s the two of them. Their objective was both the most simple and the most complex. They have to find the storage of Orichalcos stones and destroy them, after they are neutralized of course, don’t want the entire castle to end up in the same lifeless state that the other victims had been.

She dashed ahead, using a location spell to find the storage area for the stones. Then a woman came out. Not one of the knights, though she does have a resemblance to one of them, with her periwinkle hair and bright green eye. She had an intense look on her face, like she was seconds from fighting them.

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t scream and get every idiot with a sword in here,” she hissed.

He looked shocked at that but one look told him that she was serious.

“Because if you do, there could be a very good chance that your brother is the next dragon,” he spoke, going off a hunch and praying that it would work.

She looks at him, not just a glance over, but a good hard look, taking in the scales on his face, the fangs that poke out from his lips, and the slit in his eyes. There was disgust in her eyes, something he expected, something he thought when he was first changed, which he was able to accept due the love of the sun and the moon of his life. The two that had captured his heart and helped him grow into a better person.

“… Here, might as well get you to the creepy lab faster.”

She guided them to a secret entrance.

“Don’t mistake this for help. I just want to get rid of those creeps as much as anyone,” she said before moving out of the way.

He and Mana ran in. It was quite alarming Dartz had purposely made sure that people couldn’t get there, another layer to hide his sinister nature.

An arrow shot out. Then another. He and Mana ducked, not wanting to waste any magic on protecting them. They dashed through, keeping their heads down as arrows whirled above them.

She then moved left, where there was a wall.

“Why did you stop?”

“It’s here.”

“… But how do we get in?”

She gave a large grin as her wand glowed.

“Like this.”

**_BOOM_ **

His ears were ringing as he looked at the horrific display in front of him. creatures, beings that almost looked human, in jars and jails. One of the mages was holding a little girl, with slit red eyes and pure white hair. The sight of them pushing her around, trying to put her into the cauldron where there were other body parts floating in the liquid, the mixture slowly bubbling into the familiar green tint of the stone that had given them so much trouble.

He took out his blade and threw it at the monster’s arm, something that he practiced with Seto when they were younger. His sword sang true as it flew to its target. Their arm was cut clean off, the girl running off to some corner to hide.

They finally took notice of him, which was a mistake because Mana snuck to the side and hit one of the mages in the back. She then took the keys and unlocked as many of the captives as she could, which were a mix of many creatures he had never seen and unchanged humans. He went to the people near the cauldron, using his increased strength and any weapon on hand to bring them down.

He spotted the stones on a table close by, innocently gleaming in the firelight, as if they hadn’t been created in such a monstrous way.

“Mana, over there.”

She had just clubbed another mage when she heard him. she looked where he was pointing and nodded. She readied her spell, ready to blow anything in this horrid place.

He looks around making sure that all the cages were empty. They were, but the girl was still in the corner, stuck in her own world, unaware of the danger she was in.

He looked at Mana and made his decision.

He rushed over to the girl, scooped her in his arms and ran as far as he could from the explosion zone. She held on tight, taking some comfort in his presence.

Mana came by a few moments later, a terrifying grin on her face as her spell held true.

They had managed to get out of the blast zone without much trouble, only for him to be face to face with the Blue Rose.

“Yami? What are yo-“

Mana raised her staff and even from here, he can feel the vibrations from the blast.

“Less talking, more running,” he said, keeping his grip on the girl.

He ran after that, Mana giving a mad cackle that shows that the spy master had just as much of a hand raising the girl as Mahado. They were out in the outer gardens when they stopped, the spy master in Atem’s armor turning towards them, Dartz head in his hands.

“Well that was fun,” Mana said with a giggle, looking very proud of her accomplishment.

****

She was high on a ledge, looking down on the field, hearing the explosion from the inner sanctuary. It seems her brother has underestimated her son and his allies.

She looked down on the private garden, her sanctuary and prison, wanting to keep it safe and to burn it all to the ground. Her brother would no doubt come here, to take her to some hidden place where he can destroy protect her. Who knows, he might even bring Utena, the girl she loves hates is fond of.

A figure comes out of the left side with armor much like all the knights from this kingdom have, the sort that brings to mind fairytales and tales of chivalry, pretty images that hide how twisted they are on the inside. But… something is different about this figure… like the suit does not fit them well… pieces of armor failed to protect his joints and neck

The man woman being looks around the garden, then up to her little hiding spot, and relaxes, like they had found something.

They move to the table, the one where she had often sat and drank tea with Utena, and took their helmet off.

And lo and behold that figure is none other than her son, her baby, stand so close and so far away. This is good. This is bad. She could finally see him again. Her brother  **_will_ ** kill him if given the chance. Both thoughts swirled in her head, each one attacking the other and making her heart beat faster and faster.

And like a nightmare her brother came forth. She spotted Utena there as well flustered from whatever game he had played with her, shocked at the stranger in front of her who had so many features of the two she has been the toy of, both of them tugging at her, trying to keep her for themselves.

They glared at each other, the two men she cared for more than any other in the world. On one side, her beloved brother, who protected her in their youth.  Who tormented her in her presen t. On the other, the son she raised from birth, who she adored with every inch of her  black  heart, who was the result of her lost innocence in all senses of the word.

They fought, blades clashing as they tried their best to kill their kin, with the winner condemning themselves in their victory. She thought long and hard about her decision, ready to damn herself further for the sake of her chosen champion.

But then there was a light, the pink rose knight, going to the family, holding a blade in her hand. Perhaps there won’t be any blood on her hands tonight.

****

Utena stared at the two fighters, taking in just how similar they were, their eyes similar shades of green and both of them with the same shade of purple in their hair. Their faces reflecting similar features, with the shorter having the same nose as Akio. She was trying to figure out why her prince, her white knight, would be doing everything in his power to kill his own family.

That’s not noble. That’s not right.

It, it’s just wrong.

She was so focused on the depravity of it all that she failed to notice that her right arm was lifting her blade.

She ran to the battle, hoping to talk him out of this corrupt path. But when she got there, she felt her arm move forward to stab into Akio’s throat before her arm pulled away, staring at the puppeted limb as the man who saved her, taught her, and took her drowned in his own blood, his mouth gasping for air that will never come. She turned to the other swordsman, only to see shock and terror in his far too familiar eyes. He turned his eyes to the side, which she followed to see Anthy coming down, not even seeing her until now.

She saw Anthy walking quite calmly to the other, her face showing far more calm that one should when seeing the corpse of their dead brother.

The man turned to Anthy, a mix of emotions on his face as he said the word that made her stomach drop in horror with all it implies.

“Mother!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, the a-holes are dead. Done. Bu-bye.
> 
> But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t still loose ties to be wrapped up. Cause the battle maybe over, but we still have to figure out how to get back to some semblance of normal, as well as how the new rulers of Atlantis will deal with Atem at the negotiation table.


	20. Harsh Truths and Peace Treaties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which tough conversations are had.

After seeing Akio’s body on her blade, after seeing the king (oh Zeus he’s so young).

How his features reflect Akio’s (and Anthy, especially in those deep green eyes).

How he saw Anthy, how his eyes light up, and he said that dreaded word.

Mother.

She was his mother.

She was his mother and she knew that this entire time.

(Akio also knew. He must have known.There was no surprise in his eyes when they saw each other. Like he was expecting it. Expecting him.)

She dropped her sword, not wanting to look at what she just did. (Did she? She didn’t even know her arm moved to stab him.)

Turning away and vomiting, all that she saw, all that she knew and knew that the others knew twisted her guts into knots, each revelation making it worse and worse.

She heard cheering. She heard roaring. She heard explosions. She hears Anthy’s shoes as she walks over to the Esmian king, her  _ fucking son _ , and the muffled cries as they both embrace.

She heard the clanking of his armor as he left, assuring her and placing the helmet on as he got whatever forces he brought here with him. She heard Chu-Chu’s squeaks as he came to her. She hears Anthy as she says that she’s going to leave. That she was glad she had protected her so well. That she was so kind to her.

It sounded kind and grateful, the thing you expect to hear from someone who had been a guest and had to leave, like this was some game. Every _fucking word_ _was fake as hell!_

She grited her teeth as she looked at the one she considered a friend. (And something more?) she could only see red as she got up, all her pain and hurt and humiliation and sorrow directed at the woman in front of her.

She was pissed. Pissed at the lies and tender touches and forceful kisses and false declarations and caring looks and soft smiles and the fact that Anthy  _ knew _ everything. She knew and didn’t  **_fucking trust her!_ **

She  _ knew _ and she didn’t say  _ anything _ .

She snarled looking at the older (oh, gods her son is only  _ a few years younger _ than her) woman. 

“The fuck Anthy!”she screamed at her, all her anger and frustration and pain and all her other negative feelings funneled into those words, “Why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you say you weren’t happy here? Why didn’t you say he was your son? Why didn’t you trust me? Why didn’t you tell me  _ anything _ ?”

Tears blurred her vision at the last question.

Anthy looked blankly back at her.

“Would it have changed anything?” she asked back, her voice devoid of any emotion.

“What? Of course it would have! The war would not have happened at all if the King  _ knew _ ! If the others knew! If Akio...” She shouted, enraged at the very suggestion. Because the king surely didn’t know Akio’s doing these kinds of things. Right?

Anthy just gave her a pitying gaze.

“You really believe that, don’t you?” she asked, no, stated in a smooth voice, her eyes still so cold, like she was shutting off her emotions to deal with everything (and yet somehow… it felt more honest?).

“Of course! Family doesn’t hurt family!” she replied, because that’s true right? And it’s not like what he did was normal. Maybe the other king twisted his son? Maybe that’s why Akio acted that way, he was angry about his nephew being changed and changed into someone else?

“Like how Touga hurts Nanami? Like how Saionji hurt his sister? Like how Miki and Kozue hurt each other? Like how Akio and  _ your _ King hurt Kanae and Chris? Like how Akio hurt me?”

She opened her mouth, trying to talk some sense into her… but there was conviction, a certainty that she herself didn’t have.

Then she thought about it. Really  _ thought _ about it. How Kozue flaunts her affairs in Miki’s face, how he in turn scolds her and ignores even the good that she does. How Nanami keeps grasping and grabbing at Touga, only for him to give her attention when it suits him. How Saionji never even told anyone he had one, that she had to learn about it from Touga (and doesn’t it say something that he shares such personal things about his ‘best friend’).

How Anthy never sleeps in her rooms except Saturdays, each time giving her a strange look, like she didn’t want to leave, how she avoids him since he brought her here, how disconnected for such ‘close’ siblings, how she’s never in the room when he talks about the latest victories over Esmia. How she found them that day, with her dead eyes, like another part of herself was broken as destroyed forever, and his voice sounded so  _ pleased  _ with himself.

She looks away, not wanting to see her after reliving such a memory. And her own encounter. How she begged him to stop, again and again, but he didn’t and continued, again and again.

“Do you see my point then, Miss Utena?”

She wants to shake her head, to deny that such cruelties could even exist, but something in her tells her that it is so, she was used by a monster and let the woman she was supposed to protect (even… love?) be used by that monster in turn. How disgusted she feels about everything that has happened and how it stains everything she has done, the actions she took, the words she said, turn it into a green, sickly thing, unlike Anthy’s own velvet green eyes.

“Well, then. Goodbye, Miss Utena,” she said with a smile on her face, but there was something about it that seemed sad more than anything else. She turned away to meet her son. (Her son, who looks so glad to see her and hugs her in full view of everyone and she even sees tears in his eyes, far too pure and sweet and full of love and the pain in her gut returned. She was loved and safe and she was happy with her son. The son that  _ they _ were keeping her from.)

At that moment, she felt smaller than an ant, and just as useless.

*****

It has been three weeks since the siege of the Atlantean place. He and his allies had each decided that each of them would take one of the opposing forces, who called themselves the Noble Bond (such an hypocritical name for the side that had used cursed items, child assassins, kidnapping _ , _ and _ fucking human sacrifice _ ).

Usagi and her husband had chosen to talk to the Terran’s new leader, who had negotiated a peace treaty that basically boils down to “you don’t bother us, we don’t bother you”. It was especially painful for her husband, because he was once the crown prince, and he  _ knew _ many of the generals that had attacked them so brutally.

Akito, on the other hand, had taken charge of the Sonsuz Rüya with a particular zeal that left the country in tatters and him raising one of the twin boys from the royal family that had most of its lineage perished in a fire. Completely by accident.

He didn’t believe a single word from the volatile king, but there was no one who would say otherwise, and the prospect that  _ he _ was part of the reason all those people died was chilling enough as is.

So that left him with Atlantis. The ones who have started this entire  _ fucking _ war. The war that was caused in some part due to the same fucking shit that brought him into existence to begin with. Great...

He took in the two women in front of him, the two people he would have to talk to about the terms of surrender. He had somewhat hoped that Isis, or Yugi, or anyone else could be doing this but no, they were busy with other things in the kingdom, helping those who were maimed and lost limbs, and figuring out fair wages... and in any case, they specifically called for  **_him_ ** to be at these discussions.

The younger of the two held his gaze stead, her brown eyes held a calmness that one normally doesn’t exhibit when one’s father is dead. Well,  _ he  _ wasn’t exactly emotional when his father died, but then he never knew the man, only knowing about him through stories and those images that showed how he came to be. The older, the king’s sister and his uncle's fiancé (something he is still baffled by. Seriously, why does every relative want to kill him), is understandable despondent and angry, especially when she learned their connection. (Something he only learned when they fought, seriously, what the fuck?)

“Ladies,” he greeted, nodding his head to the both of them, trying to stay calm at the heated glare directed at him.

“Your majesty,” the young Chris replied, still calm.

Her aunt stood silent, rage in her eyes. She seems to have loved his uncle very much. At least someone did.

“Now, I have several requests from our side for the damages done to our country and people. This meeting is for us to dismiss the more outrageous suggestions and come to a fair agreement for both our countries. Let us hope that this meeting will be beneficial for the both of us. I hope by the end, we’ll reach a common ground,” he went off, trying to get things done quickly and get out of here.

Lady Kanae slammed her hands on the table, fury in her eyes.

“Like I would want anything in common with a kin-slayer,” she hissed out. She got up and moved to the door, “Chris, I trust that you will deal with this, because if I spend a moment longer in his presence, I would be liable for restarting the war and that is something I do not want on my conscience.”

She then left, slamming the door as she did so.

Chris coughed.

“Well, my Aunt took the loss of her fiancé poorly.”

“Hehehe, well, for me to be a kin-slayer, I’d have to know he was my uncle to begin with,” he tried to joke, with Chris looking at him like he just grew a third eye.

There was a lull, which was so tense you could cut it with a sword.

“… But seriously, I didn’t know that my mother had a brother before that day. Not to mention  **_HE_ ** was the one that informed me of our connection…. And I wasn’t the one who dealt him the blow, but you probably wouldn’t believe me.”

“No, but that doesn’t matter since I saw your fight, or rather, you trying to defend yourself from the murderous bastard, and the Pink Rose dealing the death blow,” she said calmly, as if that man was less a part of her life, a close family member, and more an annoyance that is gone forever.

“Now, what are the details of this treaty?” she declared getting things back on track.

They spent the next few hours hashing out the details, with a cut on taxes for whatever comes from Atlantis to Esmia, access to their shipyards and ship-masons, and his own personal demand that the truth of the Rose Rings and the Orichalcos Stones is revealed to the public, with compensation for the families who’ve lost sons and daughters to those cursed things.

Chis held her own in these talks, making sure that the terms would not cripple her country, what with arguing the less favorable ones and outright rejecting the insulting ones. (He dreads telling Afekia that his crazy dream of having Dartz corpse strung out like a scarecrow was out of the picture, even though anyone with half a brain knows they would never go for it.)

“And I would appreciate it if you were to come to my wife crowning as co-ruler,” he finished. (He couldn’t help but want to grin at the fact Yugi was his wife. Or that he also had a noble knight like Yami with him as well. And his delectable muscles and his cute stutter. And her soft curves and the mischievous light in her eyes when she finds a weak point. And..)

She nodded looking over the document and scratching out the bits they have already taken of the table.

“And the purpose of this is…”

“As a sign of good faith, so our two nations can know each other better and strengthen our ties.”

She nodded again before getting up, reminding him that for all her words and skill, she was still so young, younger than even he when he was crowned king.

“These terms are... agreeable; however, I have my own demand of you,” she said with a determined look in her eyes.

“I want the truth. I want to know what had happened that made Akio so dead-set on destroying the royal line of Esmia. I want to know why my father was willing to trust such a man. I want to know why it is that  _ you _ of all people that seems to have some innate ability to subvert the very thing that had been the foundation of  _ that man’s _ rise towards power. I want to know why this pointless war happened!” the young girl demanded, tears running down her face, though he could not tell if they were of anger or sorrow. Perhaps both?

He took a deep breath. How to exactly can you tell someone about the clusterfuck that is his life? It’s like something out of a ledg- that’s it!

“I don’t have all the answers to those questions… but I do have a story to tell you.”

She gave him a deadly glare, like he was trying to get out of this without doing the one thing she asked of him.

“Does this ‘story’ have anything to do with my request?”

He nodded.

There were a few more minutes of glares sent his way before she stopped, sighing.

“Fine. We’ll do it your way,” she said as he spun a tale of what had happened, making sure she does not know the nuggets of truth that were too dangerous to reveal. The things that he only learned because he begged the only person who did know. It felt like a stab to his heart when he learned that he had  _ another uncle _ , but… if it wasn’t for the whole ‘trying to murder him because of how he came to be’ thing, he would have never met him.

And so he started his tale, a tale of a brother and sister who lived in the woods, who were happy in their forest home. And how the sister left at just the right time to see there was a call for young girls to serve the kingdom in an important ceremony. 

_ And the sister was clever in many ways so she joined in. There were several tests that the woman who had done the previous ceremony gave to the girls there, with almost all of them failing. All except the sister, who was clever and wise and was quite good at reading people without letting people she was reading them. _

_ The brother and sister traveled to the palace, where the brother shined in the courts and was seen as a virtuous knight, while the sister worked hard to do the ceremony she was summoned to do. Many years went by and soon she went to due her duty and completed the ceremony, helping the kingdom prosper with a noble king. But soon there was a party and the king had let his desires control him and hurt the sister very badly. _

_ She left the palace with her brother’s help, finding an old shack in the middle of the woods where she recovered from her assault. Soon, she found herself with child, the child of the very man who had hurt her so. She had every right to leave him, to drop him off to some other family and never see him again. But something about the child warmed her heart, soothing over the pain she was dealt. She chose to raise the child as her own, without any aid from the man who had hurt her so. _

_ But the brother had his own plans on vengeance, and so, he, with the queen, went to make sure that the king would never hurt someone like that again. They had succeeded, but they were also found out. The brother was castrated and the queen was locked in a tower. It was very likely that the brother would not have survived the castration, but the sister was clever and wise and was willing to do whatever it takes to help her loved ones, so she brought him to her shack and helped him recover from his ordeal. He soon left, because the king was still alive and now his vengeance is two-fold. The sister saw him off, giving him a falcon so that they could still see each other, no matter how far apart they are. _

_ Things were quiet for a bit, until the ceremony that the sister had to do was done again, and with it, the heritage of her son was revealed to the rest of the world. For the ceremony the sister had done so long ago was a ceremony to crown the king and bless his rule. The king had a brother who also had a son, so everyone in the kingdom thought that the king’s nephew would be king. That was not to be. _

_ Soon all knew that the child was king, and the child tried his best to be a good king, including having his mother in the palace where she can be safe and protected. It could have been good, if it was not for the brother. _

_ You see, when the brother learned of the child, he was furious, for the child was a reminder of what he had swore vengeance for. And he grew to loath the child, what it was and how even with the painful history, the sister still loved him _

_ And when he traveled he found another king, one envious of the king that had so wronged the brother. And then they formed an alliance where they would take down the kingdom that the child now ruled. And so they developed powerful weapons, cursed artifacts that would give them control over the people who wear them, and fanned the flames of hatred in it’s citizens for the other nation, the one the child ruled. They had even manipulated a few other kingdoms to join them in their quest for power. _

_ Soon there was war, and like all wars, many good men had perished. But the child was fortunate that their dependence on cursed items worked in his favor, among other things. For the most powerful of items was made not for the other king, but for the brother, and the sister loved her son just as much as her brother, so she made the items bring those who wield them under their bloodline’s control. _

_ The child did not know that, but the sister also held hatred in her heart for the kingdom that had hurt her brother and her so. She was willing to take down the royal family and the rest of the kingdom in her vengeance. But the sister did not count for the child being chosen as king. And she did not expect her brother to continue when he learned that it was his own flesh and blood on the crown. _

_ The child fought hard, using those most affected by the curse to aid him, and gaining allies who helped him fight off the invading forces. He was successful enough that the brother felt threatened. So he stole his sister and brought her with him back to the other kingdom. _

_ The child cried from her taking, but then he was encouraged by his allies to move forward, where he was able to find the sister and had almost gotten to her. _

_ But the brother was there, demanding a duel to the death. The child did not want to fight him, because they were kin and that would make the sister sad to see them fight, but the brother did not care. The brother’s heart was so clouded in hate, he refused to see the child as anything less than his father’s son. _

_ And so they fought, they fought and fought until it almost looked like the brother would kill his own nephew. But the sister was clever and crafty and had been as hurt by the brother as she was by the king, and so she got one of the cursed knights to kill her brother, staining her hands to save her beloved child. _

_ And so, the brother fell, dying, with his last image being of the child he so loathed. And that is a telling of what had happened, young princess. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Unlike every other member of her family, Chris didn’t trust Akio a single inch. She’s no fool to a pretty face. Unfortunately, she also remembers better times with her father so she still has her blind spots. And, hey, for all of Dartz’s flaws, at least he’s not a total jerk to his family.
> 
> Also, I had to re-write the story at the end because it was a mess, worded weirdly, and included shit Chris would not care about.
> 
> Anthy: Son… there are some… troubling things that I have to tell you.
> 
> Atem: That my sperm donor raped you? Yeah I’ve known for a while.
> 
> Anthy:... Who told you that?
> 
> Atem: Some witch in the woods.
> 
> Anthy:.... That’s nice. ‘I’m going to murder that bitch’
> 
> Yuuko: *in a completely different dimension* I welcome your attempts.


	21. A New Normal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which there are endings and beginnings.

He saw the manor that he lived in his entire childhood, was taught his lessons and told great fantasies, where he was shaped and molded into the perfect tool for ruthless men and discarded when he was no longer useful.

He left with such dreams of being a great knight of the Rose Order, romantic and daring with the possibility of a chaste romance with some innocent maiden he would love from afar but never truly have. He came back to his homeland, temporarily, while Atem was in discussions with the princess and her regent, a man with his fanciful dreams shattered, the order revealed to be nothing more than the tools for men who desired power and vengeance, and, somehow, spending his nights with the two most incredible people he had the honor of ever knowing.

It was one of the stipulations of the treaties that the families were informed about what had actually happened to their loved ones when they had been ‘killed by dragons’, as well as anyone who has ever worn the ring. He had volunteered to tell his brother. It was the least he could do. He still doesn’t know how Timaeus had ever forgiven him for taking out his eye.

He comes up to the doors, the ones he left as a fool in love with ideals and pretty words. Now he returns a different man, maybe not that much better, but perhaps a bit wiser.

He knocks, hoping to see his brother before the day is through.

He gets his wish. Soon. Too soon.

“Oh Hera, you’re alive,” Henry says, giving him a tight bear hug as he opens the door, his eyes far more expressive than he had ever saw them before.

There was a comforting silence as they just appreciated the fact that their brother was safe after all that had happened.

It stayed that way for a while, until he noticed how different his face felt. Henry pulled away, seeing the lavender scales on his face, the fangs that pokes through, the slits in his red eyes, and all the other changes in his form since they last saw one another.

“Oh gods, you idiot! I should have never let you go off to the palace of that, that… Fuck it, you’re still alive but it’s only due to that stupid luck that you have. We don’t even know if Timaeus is alive or if he lost his mind as a dragon. I swear if he wasn’t dead already I would just, GHAAAAAA!” Yami stood away form his brother, his rage palatable to anyone in the area.

“Hey Henry…” he looked away, his nerves getting to him as he has to actually  _ tell  _ his eldest brother of all that he has done since he left.

He takes a deep breath before slowly exhaling, centering himself.

“Actually, there’s quite a lot I need to tell you,” his mouth said, somehow staying calm despite the hares in his stomach.

“What? Like how you survived all this with just a scaly face,” Henry said as he brought him to a room in the manor, away from others as he takes his new form in.

“More of a scaly everything… and a few other changes as well,” he shifts to the side as he says that.

“What? Did you find some woman who helped you in all this, like some kind of fairytale?”

More along the lines of two of the more wonderful, amazing people that he had ever met had decided that they would include him in a loving relationship.

“Yes, in a way. But, more importantly, I… was actually quite involved in the war.”

“Really? I don’t remember hearing about you from the tales that the caller told about the rose knights in the war. So un…. Oh gods, you were working with the Esmians!” Henry shouted at him

He nodded, surprisingly emboldened by his deduction.

“How in the name of Hades did that happen?” Henry yelled at him, anger and confusing tempering each other as he looks on astoundment

He chuckled a bit at that, “Well, there’s quite a bit of a tale to it.” he started before launching into his story, explaining how he was knighted, was tricked (“like that hard” Henry muttered to himself, remembering the time he tricked his brother into thinking that the pomegranate will send him into Hades) into going on an assassination attempt, was taken care of by the king and learn along with Seto ( “Like that boy wouldn’t have done it for the sake of his pride”) that the rings that they had so cherished were cursed, how he had run back out of a sense of duty ( “more like stupidity”), and how he had learn from the king himself that it was true before ordering his commander to kill him (his brother’s eyes grew dark with that). He told of his rescue, his meeting with Lady Yugi (his brother’s smile softened at that), and how he vowed to bring King Dartz to justice. Then there was the tale of his first battle, how he fought to protect the king he had once tried to kill (“Oh Zeus, he’s almost as dumb as you”), how the dragons had helped… and how he learned that the dragon he maimed to be a rose knight was in fact Timaeus, and how he had forgiven him for such a monstrous deed( “Yeah... that sounds like him”). he told all this and more, feeling better as his brother jabbed and comforted him through-out his tale, all the way to the end.

“And now?”

“Hmm?” he said as he finished telling him about blowing up the storage of green stones (Orichalcos stone, as Henry called them) in the castle, bringing the girl, Shiori, back with him to the Sun Palace (and his lovers). He grew to love the strange child as a father, and she already wishes to be a knight like himself.

Henry sighed, “What are you going to do now? Are you going to go back home?”

He was taken aback by that because for so long, the Sun Palace is his home.

“I… that it to say… There is another home for me now,” he said, feeling nervous like a small child who was caught stealing his brother’s arrows. (Timaeus was far kinder than their father would have been.)

“Oh really?” his brother gives him a doubting look, the kind that he gave when he said something stupid, like Zeus dancing with metal shoes to make thunder.

That look only strengthens his position.

“Yes. I cannot be accepted back here due to my actions in the war, nor do I expect you to allow me back in. I… I have found a place in Esmia. Duties to do. Friends to support me. I… I just want you to know this and know that whatever you think of me, know that I still see you as family and hold no ill will towards you or anyone here,” he said, feeling freer for those words, “And that you would be free to visit. When you have the time, that is.”

There was a heavy silence as Henry took such information in. He held still, tempted to fidget under his stare but doing his best to face his eldest brother.

Henry sighed, and the tension was released.

“I guess you really have grown into your own. Very well,” he said before getting up from his seat, “I expect that you will be going now that you’ve stated your piece.”

He then started to leave the room. No, no, there was still so much to say.

He went over to stop him, tapping his brother on the shoulder.

“Actually, I was hoping to invite you there, if you are interested?”

****

The sun was barely peeking out above the place walls when Yugi emerged from the doors, her king and husband by her side, walking up to the raised stage where the high priestess stood. By her side was the queen’s crown, the one left in the dark for so long.

She walks slowly up through the crowds, with all who came focused on her. Her gown of blue and violet looked elegant on her, while hiding the baby bump that she had. The citizens celebrated loudly for this day, both the rich and poor, the common and titled, to see her rise as an equal partner to her husband, to become more than a consort.

As they approach the stair, he lets her go, leaving a kiss on her hand as she climbs the steps.

She walks gracefully to the high priestess and bows, fluttering her skirts to the side to expand like wings around her. The high priestess of Horakthy, who officiated the royal wedding, placed the crown upon her with all the dignity that one can do such a thing, and shouted out loud her new status, perforated by a lovely speech that made those who already love her more enamored and her enemies weary from doing anything.

The crowds roared in excitement and approval, for the small girl who came from Domino became the queen of their fair country, a truly fairytale ending. Just as she planned.

“Wahhhhhh, My baby’s growing upppp,” came the loud wails of Yugi’s mother. She would have thought that the woman was acting if she did not know that the other mother was just overwhelmed by all that is happening. She gave a glare to the side of the newly crowned monarch, to the still cursed form of the damn idiot that had both given the royal couple the push to be together and somehow entered in as an equal partner. She was half-tempted to strengthen the curse, to make his form more like his brother’s but then it would have hurt Atem, and as much as she loathed him, she loved her son so much more. So, she settled for glares. Glares and pranks, which he was too oblivious to even notice. Idiot.

It seems like things were going mostly her way, but somehow it didn’t make her happy. Because Utena isn’t here. Because there is so much she hides from Atem, even after all he had seen, all she had told. Because she was directly in charge of her brother’s death. Because she forced Utena to kill her brother and destroyed the innocence that she had so adored in the other. Because there was no one she could tell all her secrets to, to show her vulnerable side and not judge her both what had happened and what she had done. Besides Chu-Chu, but he doesn’t give the best advice.

After the main ceremony was done, they moved to the main hall, with some of the party spilling to the smaller rooms around the palace. She moved to the main hall, got her food, and had got ready to leave when she heard a commotion.

“Oh, Saionji, it seems like you’ve had an unfortunate incident.”

She took her plates, one for herself, with some pastries and fruits, and one for Chu-Chu, piled high with anything she could get her hands on, and moved to the sound of the commotion. There was something about the drama that made her want to know about it first thing,  _ especially  _ when it's a conflict of this nature.

There, close to the doors to the rooms open to guests, was the source of the commotion, the arrogant Red Rose, with a brown-haired girl latching onto him arms as if that would make him stay and the former Green Rose, dressed in a respectable set of robes befitting his status, altered to accommodate his wings and tail, looking small and nervous, which she found much more favorable to the arrogance and depression that he had when he first came to the Sun Palace.

“Now tell me, who exactly did you dishonor to have turned and who did you bribe to change you back?” The Red Rose knight asked in a mockery of kindness, with his eyes showing how vicious his inquiry is.

The former Green Rose sunk into himself, his face paling so much it even made the green scales that had stubbornly stuck around his face to look sickly as opposed to their generally dark green.

“Oh, I’m sorry, was that too personal?” he asked, not sorry at all.

“I’d… I’d rather not say, Touga,” the former green dragon timidly answered back.

“Oh, then what abou-”

“Oy, fuck off, ya asshole,” shouted the newly knighted magical general, Joey, one of the many of who had risen in the ranks during the war, charging at the Red Rose without any of illusion of politeness or decorum that the redhead put upon himself. She much preferred the blond to his counterpoint.

“Excuse me, but this is a priva-“ the redhead started before Joey cut him off again.

“Ya heard me, fuck off, ya dickball!” his yelled again, perfectly willing to fight him in front of everyone.

The brunette tried to scold Joey but the redhead stopped her, whether to look better, to lessen the attention, or to not make it seem like he has to have a woman defend him, she does not know. Maybe all three?

Whichever it was, he left with the brunette on his arm.

Joey, once the Red Rose left, went back to check on the former dragon, whose eyes had gotten a peculiar gleam in them. Much like what she had seen when she caught her reflection when with Utena. Joey spent a few moments helping the other, not satisfied until the former dragon chuckled, which made him smile in return.

They went off, arm in arm, both looking far better for it

She felt a stab of envy at that. To be with the one you love without secrets and distrust. To really be with them and know that they love you even with your flaws and damage. To just be with them…

But that’s not possible. Not for her.

She looked down at Chu-Chu, who’s almost half done with his plate. She felt her face stretch into a smile, amending it to only be with her pets. It still doesn’t take away the sting.

“Hey,” a soft whisper cut through her thoughts.

She turned to see the one she had been dreaming about. The one who has haunted her, especially their last words to each other.

She looks different, humbler, with her hair cut short. (Is it a sign of shame? A sign of regret? Did she choose to do this or was she forced to lob off her long locks?)

“You… look different.”

“So do you.”

She would assume so. Gone were the red morning dresses, tired of the color after all she had been through, having it twisted to mean something different than what it was, a perversion of her choice and struggle. No, instead she wore a pink dress, both as a way to support the new minister of the magical arts (no one at the school wanted to be at the palace, and felt safer having Mana deal with the half-feral Afekia), and as a sign of new beginnings. She also made Chu-Chu a hat to go with it.

“So… how have you enjoyed things here?” she asks timidly, her arms fidgeting like she was fighting with herself.

“Good,” she lies, even though she feels lost and disconnected from all the changes and developments that have happened since she was taken.

“And you?”

She looks away in shame, not saying anything back but her silence is saying far more than words ever would.

It reigned for a while, two people who were so close who now could not even say a word to each other. Even though the reason they were together were false and twisted, she still looked back at most of her time with the brash blue-eyed rose with fondness. And pain, but mostly fondness.

“I’m sorry, for how things ended,” she said, surprising herself at saying such. Especially since it was true.

“No… I was more to blame, seeing what I wanted to see, not realizing what was right in front of me,” Utena answered back, looking more relaxed, like a boulder has been lifted from her shoulders.

“Then we should both shoulder the blame. I… I was far too used to courts and politics, not even telling those I trust the truth when I can. And you were raised to be such, wanting to see a better world than what was there,” she offered

She nodded, looking more like she was at the sea castle.

She turned away feeling some amount of satisfaction from this meeting, though not without the sting of bitterness that this is the best she could ever hope for, back to her corner where she could deal with the crowds.

“Wait!”

She turned back around, Chu-Chu almost falling off.

“Can, can we start over again?” she said with a blush on her face, her blue-sky eyes shyly darting to the side, nervous yet still hopeful, “I mean if you want to, that is. Not that you have to but-“

“Yes,” she answered back without hesitation.

“R-really? I mean, not that I’m not glad, but… why?”

Because she’s tired of denying her feelings towards the pink-haired idiot in front of her. Because she feels more and more estranged from the son that she has raised for so long, through no fault of their own. Because she wants something that’s  **_hers_ ** for once in her life.

“Because, despite everything, you try your best to bring comfort to a strange girl who was taken from all she knew. Because you tried to change, try to be good despite everything, tried to reach out. Now, it’s my turn to reach out to you,” she replied back, taking her hands and holding Utena’s hands in her own, “So, will you let me?”

A smile came over Utena's face, a brilliant smile that she will treasure for years to come.

“Yes.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Henry, clutching his baby brother like a life-line: you are the only one in this family with half a brain cell.
> 
> And yes, Henry just questions Yami’s intelligence, among other things, once he learns that his dumb, dumb brother is in a threesome with the King and Queen of Esmia. (They ignore him and are just happy to be together.)
> 
> Also, Yami adopted Shiro. She's his daughter now, and he's going to do his best to protect her.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you have a nice day and a please give a review telling me what you liked, disliked, or what you expect to see next.


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